Mary’s story

Hi,

I’m a bit shy about telling you all about what happened that first Christmas, but I know this whole thing is much bigger than me. In fact to be honest, while I think it is amazing that God chose me I feel so inadequate and unworthy.

But I do need to tell you how it all happened. I was going about with my, you have to say very normal life in our village of Nazareth. Although it had been quite an exciting few months for me personally. My parents had decided it was time for me to get married and I had become engaged to Joseph a carpenter in the village.. He was older than me but I liked him and knew I would grow to love him. I was looking forward to having my own home and starting a family with Joseph.

Then, totally unexpected, shortly after we were engaged, I had this amazing experience.

A man appeared before me. I later realised he was the angel Gabriel but at the time I got such a fright. However, he seemed really nice, not threatening at all, as he told me not to be afraid. That I was highly favoured, can you believe? Then he told me something that shocked me to the core. I was going to be pregnant with a baby boy who was to be named Jesus. I said how can this be? I have never been with a man, I’m a virgin?

He told me my child would, it sounded like, be the special person we had often talked about who God would one day send to our nation. That was just too “out there” for me to comprehend at that time. All I could say was “I am the Lord’s servant”. He seemed to understand and told me that my old cousin Elisabeth who had for so long longed for a baby was now pregnant in her old age! Nothing was too hard for the Lord.

Wow, I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do or who to tell. Mum and Dad realised that night I was in a bit of a state. But how could I tell them? It just seemed to be too “out there”. In the end, I went and told Joseph, I could see his eyes glaze over, couldn’t blame him, must admit I struggled to believe what was happening?

In a panic I announced I must visit my cousin Elizabeth, the angel had hinted that could be a good idea. So Mum helped me pack, I could see she was worried, and off I went. It was a two-day trip so I had time to gather my thoughts. I was nervous as I knocked on Elizabeth’s door, she was a lot older than me and her husband Zechariah was a priest at the temple. I just didn’t know where else to go.

Wow, you just heard Elizabeth’s account, I can tell you her welcome that day was as though God was speaking directly to me. It made me realise God has no favourites, that His purposes will be worked out no matter how insignificant the rest of the world may see you. Elizabeth and I were ecstatic with praise as we both realised that God was working through us and in us to achieve His purposes.

It was such a relief to be able to talk openly and frankly with someone who understood. Zechariah her husband, just stood around silently smiling, for some reason he could not talk the whole time I was there. But Elizabeth was a Godsend, so wise. She encouraged me and advised me on how to cope when I got back to Nazareth. I knew there would be many questions asked, spoken and unspoken. I was now obviously pregnant. Elizabeth said there are some things others will never understand, you cannot explain, but God will direct your paths.

Then she sent me on my way, I couldn’t help thinking what would Joseph have been thinking all this time. He was such a good and righteous man. I knew it was out of the question for him to now marry me. Oh well, I kept telling myself, Elizabeth had said God won’t fail me He will have His perfect plan in place.

Well, you know, it was true! Even before I got home Joseph heard I was on my way and met me about two miles out of town. He made me sit down under the shade of a tree and told me what had happened to him. He had come to the conclusion that he would have to quietly call off our marriage when he too had been visited by an angel telling him in no uncertain terms that he was to carry on as before. What a massive relief that was for me.

He just absolutely knew now that whatever it may appear to others he was going to hold his head high and do the right thing as he saw it. They were not our judge he told me God was. So we held hands and walked into Nazareth together. Although there was no doubt a few sniggers behind my back, as it happened, possibly because Joseph had such an upstanding and “righteous” reputation, although they couldn’t really fathom, nobody confronted the issue either.

Anyway four months later I was nearly due, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Joseph and I had to travel back to Bethlehem because that is where our families came from. It was for some Roman census and all people had to be registered.

We loaded the donkey and me and arrived in Bethlehem with crowds of others. King David by now had lots of descendants. Consequently, everything was booked out, but Joseph was determined to find a roof over our heads. In the end, the innkeeper agreed to us using his stable. It was actually quite snug, just us and a few animals, mainly sheep. It was a beautiful starlight night, I will always remember that night, just Joseph and I, and the animals, it seemed surreal, like heaven on earth.

But then I couldn’t believe it, the baby was coming, wasn’t God in control? Surely this special baby wasn’t to be born out the back of an Inn in a stable? Ridiculous.

There was no stopping baby Jesus he had decided this was the time and place and while it seemed quite a while to me Joseph says it was no time at all and I had this little squirmy baby boy in my arms looking up into my eyes.