One of the sweet events this December was attending our church’s Christmas play. I sat next to Ethan and Noelle. During the play, Noelle would whisper, “Who is that?” if she didn’t recognize someone. To her delight, she knew exactly who was playing the role of Mary.
It was one of her Wednesday night teachers from church, Marlena. Marlena herself is a young newlywed, so I thought it was especially touching to see her as Mary. That’s how Mary would have been. Young. Anticipating a life as a wife and mother yet not really sure of what that entailed.
Mary had to go through some very serious transitions at a young age. From a teenage girl on a normal course for life to an unwed pregnant woman who was carrying the Messiah.
That’s quite a bit of pressure!
Yet the Scripture tells us how Mary yielded wholeheartedly to God. After the angel Gabriel tells her the news that she will become pregnant and give birth to the Savior, consider her response:
I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me. – Luke 1:38
Wow. If we could have a “Mary” Christmas, I think that would be a wonderful gift to give to our Savior. To say like Mary, “Lord, I am your servant. Let your will be done in my life. I don’t care about my agenda for my family. My job. My successes. My failures. I don’t care what people think of me. I just care to be obedient.”
How about it? Let’s commit to have a “Mary” Christmas. No matter what our age or station in life, we can learn from Mary’s humility, obedience, and faith. “Mary” Christmas!
