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| Mary's Moment- by Laurie A. Blair 2011 |
I was fairly young, a little scared, and in labor for a long time. 24 hours to be exact.
Horrible back labor.
I knew what to expect for the most part. But it was still overwhelming... emotionally and physically.
But I had a hospital, doctors, nurses.
I was in a warm hospital room with lights and a bathroom and it was really clean!
I often think what it must have been like for Mary as she labored to birth our savior.
Cold and dark, a dirty stable, probably a little hay to lay on maybe a blanket or cloth covering it and Joseph. If she was lucky maybe a midwife. I am sure it was not painless. God wanted Jesus to be born into the human world so he could understand it. He would have wanted him to experience birth as well as death, in all the ways we do.
I remember feeling the urge to push, and smiling because it felt so good, I knew I was almost done at that point. I was going to meet this child that I felt I had known forever. Back then Ultrasounds did not tell the sex of the child. But I just knew it was a boy! I pushed as they ran me down the hallway to the delivery room, even though they told me not to... I couldn't help it. I had to!
Can you picture Mary, pushing, pushing! knowing this child, her child, God's son, would be the Savior of man, the world! So much pressure and pain. And then suddenly the head frees itself from her body and the rest of the child follows sliding into Joseph's hands. He places the baby on her chest on a swaddling cloth, Mary rubs the baby's back instinctively until he begins to cry, shaking, he is cold. Joseph helps her swaddle the babe, and she pulls him close...
When James finally broke free of my body and they placed him on my chest. I felt such JOY! I could not feel any pain. I know there was pain, but I suddenly have no recollection of it. All I can see is this beautiful babe, the fingers and toes, his little body shaking and crying that little vibrating cry that newborns have. The nurses take him and rub him down, and wrap him. They place him back in my arms and dim the lights. Andy stands next to me in tears. We are both crying. The love we feel is overwhelming....And looking up at us with beautiful blue, blue eyes, our son. So innocent and trusting, and beautiful.
I am sure Mary felt these things too as her beautiful baby looked up at her and Joseph. The love that must have radiated from that small family...and then it happened, a heavenly chorus! can you imagine? In that crowded little town! People had to stop in shock and awe! The bible says the GLORY shone round him, I imagine it not only as a light but a sound, and a feeling! POWERFUL! Like being in a musical tornado! But Mary I imagine like me was looking into her sons beautiful blue, blue eyes. But his eyes, reassuring, all knowing, peaceful, sure...So innocent and trusting. Full of love...
Oh what a wonderful thing! A SAVIOR, a COUNSELOR, a KING of KINGS born for all of us.
As we prepare to celebrate his birth, lets remember all the ways our Savior experienced our world so he could truly understand us, and unselfishly accepted a very human, painful death to relieve us of our sins and to give us eternal life.
I will never forget a single moment of any of my children's births.
I am sure Mary remembered every moment of her son's birth as she stood before the cross.
Happy Birthday dear Savior... Thank you.
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