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Luke 1: 38
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

When I woke up this morning, I was looking at the window where all of the raindrops on it looked like stars on a dark night because of the outside lights reflecting in them. It made me think of how bright with stars that sky probably was the night that Jesus was born………….Ohhhhh, how my heart goes out to Mary……….. Thank God (literally) ~ He was with her!

I have given birth to three wonderful children, all three in a hospital surrounded by doctors, nurses and all the medical care one could possibly need and it was still quite an experience! Mary was giving birth in a stable but let’s think beyond that even, for a moment: what do you think she may have felt?

Joseph was told by an angel that this baby was from God and to go ahead and take her as his wife, but what about everyone else? How exactly do you think that concept was received by friends and family? Seriously, I had my son 10 months after I got married and there were women in the church counting it out to make sure I wasn’t pregnant before I got married! Really? Do you think it would have been much different back then? You can hear them now, “so, bless her heart, she says that “the Holy Spirit” did this to her…… “ Then, can you imagine after she got back home after visiting Elizabeth for 3 months? There was no hiding her pregnancy then! Her parents were considered wealthy and godly people, they had dedicated her to the Lord when she was born because she was born when they were older and had about given up hope of ever having a child. You never hear of their support or interaction after she became pregnant, we are left not really knowing if she had their support or not.

This wonderful day of Jesus birth had to have brought on many emotions in Mary! Poor young girl is overwhelmed with hormones, delivering a baby in a “strange place” and to a degree had to be hoping that any scorn she had received might stop now that the baby was finally being delivered! But He was there! Jesus, Immanuel (God with us), was there!

Life can be really tough as a woman! Even though teen pregnancy seems quite common these days, it is a tough road! Being a woman who desperately wants a child, but hasn’t been blessed with one yet, can be heartbreaking and overwhelming! Being the Mom who wants to make it all ok for her single, pregnant daughter that she loves so dearly and to protect her from all the hatefulness of the world is heart wrenching! Experiencing life as a single woman, where you sometimes feel as though people look on as though being single means you have somehow come up short, can take it’s toll on your self worth! Being misjudged by others who are quick to judge instead of willing to listen and then over zealous to spread the “news” about you without the truth breaks your heart! Yes, life can be really tough as a woman! I have experienced in some form most of these things in one way or another (no, I wasn’t a teen Mom, remember the ladies in my church counted the months and I was 24 when I got married and on that note, people in the church had begun praying a few years before that because they were afraid I would never marry! – I couldn’t win! LOL)

He knows! He knows the truth! He knows the heartache! He knows how hateful those people are being! He knows how broken your heart is! He knows how lonely you feel! He knows how awful the struggle is! He knows how desperately you want that child! He knows how much you love your children! He knows your pain! And He is there! He is with you! He will be with you! He cares! He has kept track of every tear! He will lead you, guide you, care for you and love you all the way through if you will just give it to Him and allow Him to! Don’t try to go it alone! He wants to be with you every single step of the way! He gave Mary the strength to bare the scorn of those in the Temple and the people in the village! He gave her the strength to face all that she faced and to do what He called her to do in spite of the naysayers, the gossips, the people who shunned her, no matter what lies were told about her, He was there and He gave her all she needed to do it!

I would like to encourage you to celebrate His birth this year with a new spring in your step regardless of what you are facing because you know that He is there! He is with you and nothing else matters! As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent!” Walk as the child of the King! You are royalty girl and no one can take that away from you and no one can give that to you other than Jesus Himself! He loves you and you are royalty! Walk in His confidence and peace, knowing that the best is yet to come!

Quote:
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson