Great Expectation

In 1995, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first children.  We were overjoyed!  Just a few weeks later we discovered we would welcome twins!  We were still joyful, but now we were a little scared as well.  I wasn’t sure that i could handle raising two at one time, but my husband quickly reminded me God was on our side.

At 24 weeks of pregnancy I went into premature labour. After a week in the hospital, I went home to be on complete bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy.  I suddenly faced weeks of nothing to do but think.  Now you would probably think that I spent that time worrying, but oddly enough, I never worried about my babies. God gave me the peace that passes all understanding throughout that pregnancy and I felt closer to Him than I ever had in my life.  Instead, I spent my time thinking about those babies.  As I felt them move and saw the tiny imprint of their feet on my belly I wondered where life would take them.  I dreamed of their lives, the women they would one day marry, and the children they would one day have.  

I wonder if Mary did the same thing. I wonder if she stared at her pregnant belly in wonder at the child within.  Did she have any idea just what that child would accomplish? Did she truly believe what Gabriel had told her? Did she know??

God gave us the greatest gift we could ever have through a tiny baby.  No gift ever given could come close to comparing to the magnitude of God’s gift of Jesus on that ancient day.  Jesus would literally change the world with his birth, life, and death on a cross.  

Luke 2 has this to say of the birth:

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Read that last line again.  They came with HASTE.  They hurried to see this miracle boy, this one whom angels watched over and heralded his birth.  

We should do the same.  This Christmas, don’t lose the wonder and excitement of the baby.  Remember Mary and all that she must have been feeling,  and hurry to the Savior.

Merry Christmas!