LIFE: a sword through your heart

"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
(Luke 1:26-28)

Heard this story a million times in light of all the understandable warm fuzzies it stirs up for the Christmas Celebration.. but something occurred to me that I found quite wonderful this morning.

God sent a message to Mary, a greeting, to assure her of her calling and to encourage her heart in what she was about to face. He revealed himself to her as Emmanuel, GOD WITH US. That is what Christ coming to earth was about. He became one of us, to walk this hell on earth out beside us, to lead us along in finding our way out of the darkness.. the road that man detoured onto that was never God's plan or will.. 

God speaks the same encouragement to us today. He sent a message by his Word and he speaks through his Spirit as well, wanting us to always remember that HE IS WITH US... assuring us of our calling as part of his family, with purpose and an important, significant existence, that man will never value as God does... encouraging us to hold on despite the hell we are about to face, the hatred, rejection, and sense of loneliness as we continue forward against the grain of this world, ppl we know, ppl we don't, ppl who appreciate what we give, but who will never appreciate us as followers of Christ... encouraging us to love despite it all just like the example he set.

Mary's role of birthing and raising Christ was a "sword through her heart".. she was a pregnant engaged woman which was such a stigma at the time that she would have been stoned. She was made to flee, faced the uncertainty and accusations of others around her that knew the numbers didn't add up for her due date and wedding... she faced shame, loneliness, fear.. all those things we feel that are foreign to God and to the two dimensional ppl we read about in the Bible. But it was all real, as real as whatever your situation is that is causing you to understand those exact same feelings of emptiness and loneliness and depression...

The difference is that Mary believed God's message. Scripture says she wondered and was unsure of much of what happened as it happened, but she PONDERED IT IN HER HEART. That means she put it on the the back burner and waited for God to bring understanding in his timing.. trusted God no matter how much sense and sadness and threat of death surrounded her and her baby and her family. It was a scary walk that she was asked to walk, and yet, she walked it all the way to the grave. And so must we. She cried, she was tempted to doubt, she questioned, and hurt and pleaded with God for understanding and help... but each time, she resolved to trust him, and to continue in her calling as best she could. 

God sent us a message, a greeting, today in this moment...
"Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Life is a warzone thru the darkness.. but you are favored, covered with grace no matter how messy you walk it, the favorite in his eyes, the one he walks beside carrying a big stick, a cross, a ship that will get you to the other side and out of this dark place. There are many reasons to be afraid.. he gets that, he was tempted to fear as well, he was fully man as much as fully God.. that's why he constantly reminds us.. DO NOT BE AFRAID... that's not a rebuke, it's direction to check yourself and to choose courage, to remember that you are not alone even tho it feels like you are. 

THE LORD IS WITH YOU.

remember that this Christmas season and thru the coming year. Write it down somewhere and ponder it in your heart when life gets ugly and makes no sense. 

Hugs to You <3