Christmas Letter

Dear Friend,

I want to again share with you my personal Christmas tradition; not of recipes and decorations, family and photos, but a tradition of listening to God and seeing something new tucked away within the Christmas story. This year God called me to it before my usual time of reading, pondering and praying about the Christmas story.

As I reached for my computer early one morning, God stopped me and told me it was time to read the Christmas story and find a new nugget to share. I put away my laptop and picked up my Bible. As I asked God which to read, Matthew or Luke, He guided me to Luke. As I read, several things popped out to me, but the most interesting was Mary’s response. I have written about it before, but this year I got a new perspective on it.

When Gabriel first appears, Mary is greatly troubled, disturbed and confused. The angel tells her not to be afraid. I suppose troubled and disturbed could be fear, but it almost seems as if Mary was just trying to figure out what this was all about. I wonder if this was her first encounter with an angel. It seems there were lots of angel appearances back then.

Gabriel says you “will” become pregnant and give birth to a Son. Then, Mary asks how that can be since she has never “been” with a man. This is curious, since she is engaged and Gabriel uses the word “will” become instead of “are.” Why didn’t Mary think that she and Joseph would be the parents in the future? This must be a translation problem. It makes me wonder if Mary was already pregnant. Had the Holy Spirit already come upon Mary? Did Gabriel really say that Mary was already pregnant with the Messiah? Did she ask how that could possibly be since she was a virgin? Did he respond that it was the work of the Holy Spirit? It seems that this may be the case.

At any rate, Mary responds that she is the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done. This was amazing to me that she thought she had a choice. I wonder if she really did have a choice or not. Gabriel does not seem to be asking, but telling. What if Mary would have said, “No, I am not up for that challenge”? I choose to marry Joseph and live a normal life. I will not be the mother of the Savior. What would have happened? Would God have done it anyway? Would He have chosen someone else? Would He have not sent Jesus after all? Mary’s simple sentence that complied with God’s will made all the difference in my life, today.

When God shares His will with me, how does my compliance (or non compliance) affect the world? Is it presumptuous to think that my actions affect the whole world? I have seen tiny things make a large difference and huge things seem to not affect anything. I think we can never know how each thing we do or say may change the future. This makes it imperative that we always comply and obey God’s will.

This year, we need to listen to the still small voice. We need to hear, heed and obey the voice of God in our lives. If you hear the voice, obey it. If you do not hear it, take the time to start listening. Hearing God is one of the most fulfilling things in life. If only it could always be as easy as it was for Mary (the hearing part, not the obeying). If an angel could show up and speak plainly to us, that would be so wonderful. However, God doesn’t always work that way. Mostly we have to take time to listen. When we start listening, His voice is so much easier to pick out and hear without as much effort. I pray that I can listen and hear God. I pray that my heart will have the attitude to obey. I pray that I will be pleasing to God as Mary was.

May we all listen this Christmas season and obey in the small things. May we let someone in front of us in line at the store. May we help someone who needs it. May we open doors for one another. May we pick up that piece of paper and put it in the trash. May we truly be Jesus to the world in all the small ways. So that we may be the avenue through which some hear of Jesus and accept the call.

Have a Blessed Christmas,

Missy, Tim, DJ, Tina and Emmalee