58°: The Christmas cast

It was a scene many, many centuries in the making. A king, the King, would arrive. The story foretold for many generation, nothing prepared the characters completely with the events set to unfold.

As I have been thinking about Christmas, the meaning, the significance, the amazing grace and mercy shown on that Bethlehem night, I have also been thinking of those people, regular folks just like me, who were called upon to participate in the story. I have thought of those who in all likelihood were afraid, amazed, bewildered and awestruck by the events that were unfolding around and through them. Sometimes it's so easy to forget that the cast of characters that we sing of and set up in our nativity scenes each Christmas, were regular people with emotions and feelings just like mine.

Today, I read Luke 1. I love the story from Luke, perhaps because I memorized a good portion of it at Vacation Bible School one year as a child (yes, Summer Vacation Bible School) and it has remained with me all these years. But, in Luke 1, we are introduced to Mary and in verse 29 we find that Mary is "greatly troubled" by the message delivered by the angel. I had to laugh as I read this. Mary, a young virgin woman set to be married, is visited by an angel and told she will be pregnant with the Son of God. It seems that "greatly troubled" is quite the understatement. I would think terrified out of her mind would be more like it. I can only imagine my own reaction. I began to think of what would have gone through my mind had it been me receiving the news:

I must be dreaming
I must be crazy
I can't be pregnant. It is impossible.
What will Joseph think?
What will Joseph do?
What will my parents think?
What will my parents do?
This was completely not in the "plan for my life" list
I don't want kids yet.
I'm not ready to be a mom
I'm not ready to be the mom of God.
I'm certainly crazy
I can't do this
I won't do this
You can't make me do this
I don't want to do this
Why are you asking me to do this?

Those are just a few of the thoughts that came to my mind. I'm sure that there are plenty more. "greatly troubled"? Yes, I would most definitely be greatly troubled! With much worry and anxiety and stress to go along with my "troubling". And I'm sure Mary was too.

And yet, and yet.

Luke 1:38 "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said"

What is the Lord asking of me? What instructions has He given about my life? I know for sure He hasn't asked me to become pregnant and deliver His son, the Messiah. And yet, my reaction to the things He does ask of me are often, "I can't do this, I don't want to do this, what will everyone think if I do this?, Why are you asking this of me?" It's not always easy to be the Lord's servant. Mary had a very difficult assignment, and yet...