Mary's Thoughts

May I share with you my writings of Mary?

It is with pleasure that I once again share remembrances of my life. As you know, I was espoused to a godly man of the house of David, Joseph the carpenter. We both lived in Nazareth. One day as I went about my duties there suddenly appeared unto me an angel. He declared his name to be Gabriel and addressed me as a woman Highly favored of God. Said he, “The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.” An Angel to declare to me that I am ‘favored’ and ‘blessed’?

This saying troubled me. What manner of salutation should this be to a young woman, such as I? But, his words, “Fear not.” filled my soul with calmness. He continued and I listened with every fiber of my being, “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name, Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.” These words I understood. Long had my people waited for this Promised Child.

Many families had hoped to receive the honor of bearing the Son of God to save Israel from oppression and mankind from their sins. But, me? Yet, somehow the questions of doubt that would seem so easily to befall a young girl such as I were erased before they could form. Every word the angel spoke was accompanied by a cord of Faith that encompassed me until truly I was so sure of the mission I had been called to that only one question remained. “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Simple words were used to express a beautiful answer, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee....For with God nothing is impossible”

Those words, ‘For with God nothing is impossible,”burned within my heart the moment Angel Gabriel spoke them. How many times have they come to my rescue through the years? My response is always the same as it was that day, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

The Heavenly Messenger kindly told me of another Miracle Child to be born of cousin Elizabeth. I went with haste unto her house and abode for 3 months. Upon my arrival, Elizabeth just hearing my voice knew my Holy Secret, as did her unborn babe who leaped within her! My soul did magnify the Lord and my spirit did rejoice in God, my Saviour.”
It was a precious gift, Elizabeth knowing my situation without my speaking of it, for there was yet the unsolved situation that I was with child and had no husband. For these 3 months my constant prayer was that Joseph would also be able to believe as did Elizabeth, for I knew that ‘with God nothing is impossible.’

God granted that prayer for which I will always rejoice. Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph assuring him that all I spoke was truth. We were married. Joseph was good to me. He carefully protected me from difficult situations and kindly cared for me through the discomforts of being with child. For these attributes I was especially grateful during our journey to Bethlehem some hundred miles away- a long journey for one great with child.

Joseph attended to me with tenderness and concern. It was not easy, I admit, but what did it matter? I held within my womb not only my child, but the Son of God, the Babe that would save the world. So many times I yearned to shout my secret to those who passed by. Surely they would rejoice as Joseph and I to know that the Long Promised Saviour would soon be born. Yet, I kept all these things in my heart - a heart that wanted to burst with the Good News.

What a glorious sight to finally see Bethlehem in the distance. The city of our father David. The city in which I would bare my son. The city where we would rest for a time. Then came the unwelcome news - No room in the inns? How could it be? How I prayed for a comfortable place to rest my body, to bring forth my son; “For with God Nothing is impossible!” A stable? I still had lessons to learn. Yes, God can do anything but somethings are best done in ways separate from my ‘wisdom.’ The words I spoke to Angel Gabriel months ago guided me, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

So, it was that my days were accomplished and I did bring forth my firstborn son wrapping him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a lowly manger. You must know that Joseph had done all he could to prepare the stable; cleaning, arranging, and making us comfortable. I was grateful for the shelter.

I confess the joy of the occasion overshadowed the inconvenience. For we received visitors that very night! Shepherds! They spoke of an Angel appearing to them with the glad tidings: of angel choruses singing anthems!
And of a star! A star that led them to us! Joseph went outside to see it. He hurried back in scooping me up in his arms taking me out to see the sky. A star! A glorious star hung above this lowly stable. A sign to signify that the Light of the World was born. Then these kind simple shepherds knelt in reverence before my baby. They worshipped Him.

I worship HIM. Yes, he was my baby. But, He is your baby too. The honor of holding Him, of being the one to hear His sweet little voice, rocking Him in my arms, are blessings that I know you wish you could have. You have imagined: the surprise blessing of being visited sometime later by the Wise Men and receiving their gifts, poor as we were, the horror that accompanied the wrath of Herod, our fleeing to Egypt.

Although you know only a small part of the details of it all-it is enough. For what God gives is just the right portion.

I am the only person who was with Jesus at birth, throughout his life and then at his death.

I am a witness of His life, death and resurrection. He lived, I know. He lives. He is my son. He is my Saviour. He is my God.

I bring a message from Him to you. He loves you. He knows you: your name, your face, your family, your joys, your troubles. Please believe. It is all true. Everything. He is your Saviour. Perhaps like me, will find comfort in declaring, “be it unto me according to thy word.”

Nothing is Impossible. In fact, right now, He is working miracles in your life. Can you see them? You may have to walk out of your ‘stable’ and look up to discover them. They are there.

Art by Carl Bloch and Joseph Brickey