Hope You Have a Mary's Christmas...!

Maybe that is what we should be wishing each other since 'Merry Christmas' is not politically correct all of a sudden. A Mary's Christmas!? What would that look like? We think we are stressed 13 days before Christmas but just think of Mary, nine months before her first Christmas. She would have just found out that Christ was coming as a baby...her baby. That would have given her reason to be stressed and abit worried. From the very first time the angel spoke to Mary, she responded in such a way that set the tone for her Christmas. She didn't react to the angel or to the message, she just wondered how it could be true that she would give birth to the Christ-child since she was a virgin. Mary may have been young, but she must have had a close walk with God. She didn't react or doubt, she just responded with truth and waited for God's response. The Bible said she 'pondered'. Ponder is a word we don't hear a great deal today. It means to "think deliberately, consider deeply or to ruminate". Mary thought deliberately when she was given the assignment by God. Do we think deliberately or do we jump into a reactive state and begin to worry before we find out God's plan for us? I have imagined over the years that Mary may have used the list of things to think about that are listed in Philippians 4:8..."What ever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praise worthy"...she must have automatically shifted into thinking about 'these things' when faced with such a daunting task from God. How else could she have said so quickly, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."
To have a 'Mary's Christmas', we need to be ready to respond to God not react with our expectations. Ponder whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy during this Christmas season. See if that doesn't get you closer to having a 'Mary's Christmas'! A Christmas that just might change your life as the first Christmas changed Mary's life.