From the sidelines, some people make life look so easy. Do you know them?
The family that has the perfect Christmas card every single year.
The woman whose Christmas decor spreads all the way into the master bedroom. It’s amazing, really. Adorable plaid throw pillows, embellished with coordinating buttons, are lined neatly upon her bed.
Those ladies that wrap presents like it’s an art form.
And the food. The FOOD, people. It’s off the charts this time of year. My neighbor makes toffee that I am convinced comes straight from heaven. I have been known to inhale it like Edmund Pevensie does Turkish Delight. It’s that good.
I don’t begrudge these women for all their Christmas talents. I just wonder how they pull it all off with such grace and style.
My kids think throw pillows are for throwing; they are never lined tidily upon anything. I’m the girl who 9 times out of 10 cuts the wrapping paper just a half inch too short (see Instagram for evidence) and I have no clue how to make toffee.
So I wonder, how do those women make it look so easy, so smooth, so graceful, while I’m mostly flailing about, piecing it all together?
Yesterday, as I was reading through the Christmas story, it occurred to me that for most of my life I have thought of Mary in much the same manner.
In my mind, Mary still wears the pretty blue and white frock from the church Christmas plays of my childhood. Mary is favored among women. She ponders things in her heart. Well with child, she rides a donkey bravely and seems to be completely cool with delivering her baby in a stable.
Mary is the definition of grace and humility. How does she do that?
My firstborn arrived in March of 2005 so the Christmas of 2004 I found myself pretty well with child. And I clearly remember thinking if anyone tried to put me on a donkey to take a trip to Bethlehem right then I may very well punch them in the face. Obviously, I’m not a Mary.
But in reading Luke 1 yesterday I saw something anew.
“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think of what the angel could mean.” Luke 1:29 (NLT)
Confused? Disturbed? That’s funny, I don’t ever think of Mary that way. And what was it that she was so confused and disturbed about? Let’s back up just one verse.
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Not much confusing or disturbing there, right? Or is there. Mary knew. Mary knew something was coming. I don’t think she had any clue what it was exactly, but she knew it was something and she knew it was big. And big is scary.
And all of a sudden I get Mary a bit. No, I haven’t had any angels show up lately, but I understand big, I get scary. I know confused and disturbed and straight up scared. So I keep reading.
As the angel begins to tell Mary that she will conceive the Son of God, she replies in verse 34.
“But how can this happen, I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34
Oh, how I get this Mary. I would imagine that she had heard about Moses and the Israelites and God parting the Red Sea. I would imagine she had heard the wonders and miracles that God had performed throughout the ages, just as you and I have. But when an angel shows up in front of her and delivers a huge calling on her life her mind spins logical because that is just not even possible!
Do you get this Mary, friend?
Patient with her, the angel gently explains the plan and Mary steps into the truth that rings truer than her very circumstances, truer than logic or evidence or fear. Like a reflex, Mary sets her heart upon the faith that was established long before the calling.
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
Ah, yes, that. She knows that. She believes that. And it changes everything.
Mary was a scared girl, a logical girl, who was willing to say yes. Her brave yes stemmed from a courageous faith in a big God. And she took her fear and turned into praise.
“Mary responded,
Oh, how my soul praises the Lord, how my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.”
Luke 1:46-50
I’m not called to be Mary. Or make toffee. Or wrap beautiful Christmas gifts (thank you, Jesus!). But I am called to follow, bravely. I know I can say yes to the hard things, to the big things, to the scary and confusing things He calls me to. Not because I’m that good, but because He is.
In this, the last remaining days of this beautiful season, as we celebrate and worship, may we continually choose to fear God and live brave. Let’s toss the idea of a perfect Christmas and reach for a brave one instead.
Merry Christmas, friends. It is truly an honor to journey with you. <3
It’s so good to go back through Scripture and reread and catch new things! It’s so enlightening and so wonderful. Mary treasured and pondered these things in her heart and God calls us to do the same! Even in our big, scary moments He calls us to be faithful. And I think we make this more complicated than it really is, probably because we’re too focused on the big and scary and not our God.
Yes, Kassi, exactly!
Oh, how I have to laugh at “the perfect Christmas” as I’ve never had one! From the time that my kids were little I had great hopes of having a “Good Housekeeping” (is that even published anymore?) beautiful decorated home with the best tree covered in shimmering gold & white ornaments with a brilliant star at the tip. My little children all freshly scrubbed, in their new p.j.’s smiling at the wonder of it all. Click, come back to reality, first was the fight that broke out over who gets to put the star on the top, and the gobs of tinsel thrown on the branches by eager & grubby little boys (I had 4). The girls breaking out in tears because someone misplaced the baby Jesus in the manger and instead there was a Mickey Mouse figure. Where was Mary? She too was replaced with Minnie Mouse and Joseph was no where to be found, he apparently left when he found out there was going to be a baby. Putting on some Christmas music to calm everyone down we settled in to read the Christmas story (another planned event to make the perfect Christmas happen). Ending with “peace on earth, good will to men” the popcorn fight began. Finally with all the little people in bed, Mom & Dad tried to finish up the last minute chores before crawling into bed themselves. I stood at the bedroom door as guard while my husband put some bikes, or other items together. When I heard a noise that I though was coming from a child I reached in and turned off the light and was rewarded with a string of words that should never be said on Christmas Eve or anytime for that matter. If he would only read the directions it wouldn’t take half the night to put a few bikes together, was my theory. After all, I had cleaned the house, prepared the food, supervised the kids, called all the relatives that were coming and sent all the Christmas cards out, including his family which he always said he would do but never did. My memories of Christmas Day are a blur of wrapping paper everywhere, a tipsy looking tree with a cat asleep under it and the dog ripping up the pages of a “Perfect Christmas” in my Good Housekeeping magazine. Oh well, maybe next year, I thought as I looked at candy smeared little faces filled with joy trying out their new bikes. Perfect house I never had, perfect children, no. perfect life, not hardly but it’s ok because I know the only One who is perfect and that’s what matters! Merry Christmas.
Your authenticity is unmatched, Shirley. I love each one of your stories. I hope your Christmas wonderful, if not perfect. 😉
Thank you for this, Katie! Your brave and your humility are certainly contagious. In our home of “controlled” chaos…which is truly no different any other time of year…there’s peace in knowing our journey doesn’t look all that different from some other families. God bless you and your family as you reflect on the real reason we celebrate Christmas and His coming!
Thank you Katie for bringing God’s work into prospective, your stories help me to understand a little more of God’s wonder.
Merry Christmas, my sister, Maria
Merry Christmas Katie! You are such an inspiration and I am always learning and being challenged by your blog to dig deeper, reach higher, and choose brave. Blessings to you in 2017 and always!
Sky
Thank for, Sky, because you, in turn, inspire me. Community is a blessing. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas!