Help! We're Not Ready and the Baby is Coming!

Last Installment

Joseph knew he had married a special woman when Mary didn't immediately start to complain about  what was lacking in the stable. She took the quilts she  brought with her and laid them carefully over  the floor which she had carefully swept. She asked Joseph if he wouldn't mind getting some more  water in the skins they used on their journey. They had enough food for several days. Mary was content because she didn't have to face the quizzical stares and hushed tones of gossipy women in this new place like she had in Nazareth.

On the fifth afternoon of arriving Mary looked at Joseph and said, "It looks like I am going to have this child this afternoon."  Joseph started timing Mary's contractions. An hour or two went by with contractions every fifteen minutes. Joseph knew that he was going to have to help with this childbirth. He'd already learned that the town's two midwives had gone with their husbands to their birthplaces for the census. If he'd been in Nazareth Mary's mother or one of townswomen would have stepped in to help. He looked around the stable. There were some fairly clean looking milk rags that were drying over one of corrals in the stable. He took some straw, the cleanest he could find, and placed it into a pile.

As the hours went on Mary's contractions got closer. Joseph knew when they got to three minutes apart that it would not be much longer until the baby came. The most he could do for Mary was to encourage her as she endured the intense labor pains. Finally she gave one final push and the little fellow made his appearance into the world. Joseph tied the umbilical cord and used the sharpest tool he had to cut it. He took some of the water and washed the newborn. Joseph wrapped the tiny baby up and  placed him in Mary's arms. She nursed the new born. Following  Mary's careful instructions he carefully placed the newborn in the straw in the manger.

Mary, sighed, "I am so exhausted as she laid back on her pallet on the dirt floor. She drifted off to sleep. She had been asleep for a few hours. The sounds of several voices woke her out of her much needed rest. She saw some shadowy figures staring into the manger's door. " Whose that," she whispered to Joseph. He'd been trying to get these shepherds to lower their voices so as not to wake the baby or Mary. "He cleared his throat and said,"Well these are shepherds from outside of town"
They have the most fantastical story I've ever heard, he exclaimed. "Come closer he told them," as he moved them towards Mary. "Tell her what you just told me,"he urged them.

The amazed shepherds told of the visit by the angel and the sight of thousands of angels saying Glory to God, They related that they'd been told that God had sent Peace on Earth through a baby born in Bethlehem. They'd followed the angel's instructions on how to find the babe in Bethlehem.  They'd  come to worship the baby Emmanuel*. Their excitement knew no bounds. They scurried away to tell everyone they knew about the most unusual night of their lives.

Mary and Joseph looked at each other in wonderment. They were in the no star hotel manger with the best and brightest gift from God to the earth.

Now  Dear Reader; The question I have for you is, will you be as inquisitive as the shepherds and seek this Babe, the Son of God, Emmanuel, for yourself?

Some of the Greatest Gifts from God  may come

 wrapped in the most unlikely circumstances and surroundings. 

Based on the Advent Story in Luke 1 and Matthew 2 and 3

* Emmanuel means God with us

Well, It's Not Exactly the Hilton

Fourth

After an exhausting week’s long journey over very difficult terrain Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem in the middle of the day.  Dusty and tired Joseph set out to secure lodgings leaving Mary to rest by the town's well. He knew that he’d have to pay to stay in the town's inn because  all of his family had left Bethlehem many years ago. He didn’t know a soul in the town.  As Joseph went to the inn he was hoping to rent a little room  that didn’t cost too much. He had to conserve his money so that he could pay those heavy Roman taxes. In previous years he'd experienced greedy tax collectors adding a stiff surcharge on whatever the Romans levied for taxes.  Joseph went ready to bargain hard with the Inn Keeper for a reasonable rate.

When he arrived the bedraggled keeper looked at him and shook his head. “Sorry, I’m filled up to the gills,” said the man.  “Every single space is taken,” he said.  "I even have people sleeping in the dining spaces,” he added.  As if to emphasize his point he continued,”  I even have one man sleeping in a corner in a hallway.”  “I just can’t take another person,” he added.  “My own five children are sleeping in one tiny room,” he continued.  “I don’t know what that Caesar Augustus was thinking when he ordered people to go back to their birthplaces, he whispered, less some one report him to the Romans for complaining. “What am I going to do,” asked  Joseph plaintively?  “My wife is  expecting our first child.”  “Do you know any homes  around here that are taking in people.”  “No,” said the innkeeper. “Everyone I know around here is filled to overflowing with family and strangers," he answered. There’s just no room in this town for anyone else. Joseph looked down scratching his head.

"Well I hate to suggest this," said the innkeeper sympathetically, "Seeing that your wife is expecting and all, but the only place I can offer is space in the stable."  "That’s the only space where a person can even sit down, " he said sounding embarrassed to even suggest such a wretched place.  "At least it will be out of the cool night air," he continued. "That’s all I have to offer," he said. "If you don''t take that I'm pretty sure that it will be snatched up if anyone else comes to town looking for a spot," said the harried innkeeper. 

Knowing he was in a predicament,  Joseph agreed on a meager price for the smelly stable. A disappointed Joseph went back to get his weary wife. "Mary, I have some bad news," he told her dejectedly.  He explained to her that there was absolutely no where decent to stay in the town. "Every room in the inn and every house is filled with people like us who had to come back to be taxed," said Joseph.  "Well it's a space and at this point we just have to do what we need to do," she said as she stood up. "Maybe something else will open up in a few days, said a hopeful Mary."  

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Lesson: Doing the right thing  and being in the will of God doesn't mean everything will be comfortable all of the time.  Sometimes you just have to endure discomfort to get to your goal.

The Real Housewives of Nazareth **** Girl, Your Business Is in the Street!

Third

"Shh, she’s coming,” said Chava's wagging tongue as Mary approached the well. An awkward silence filled the air.  Mary started down the cool stone steps to draw water. One of the older women rolled her eyes and scanned Mary’s robe for a tiny protrusion that would confirm a pregnancy. Mary hurried back up the steps and left the normally gregarious friendly group. 

As soon as she was out of earshot, or so they thought, they continued to gossip.  “Did you hear the news,” asked Tana?  “Joseph and Mary were engaged to marry next year,” she said. “But you know I heard they went to the priest and got married last week,”  countered one of the  women.  “I heard there was a Roman soldier that kind of liked her said another.   “What are you saying,” asked Esther?  “Well I’m not sure but I think I heard that she might have been with one of those soldiers,” said an emboldened Tana.   “I heard Joseph’s not the baby’s daddy,”  sniffed another. “Shut your mouth,” said Esther.

“Well remember  when Mary left  town,” said the highly animated eye rolling Hadassah?  “She was  supposed to be going to see her cousin Elisabeth in Judea," she said sarcastically."  "Sure," said Leah. "What I heard is that her really old cousin Elisabeth is going to have a baby," continued Leah  knowingly.  "Likely story" said Hadassah.  "You know what's really  happened," she continued. "Mary's went to stay there amd was going pass it off as Elisabeth's baby," she said confidently.  "No woman as old as Elisabeth was  going to have a baby," concluded Hadassah.  "But that planned failed when Elisabeth really did have a baby" exclaimed an exasperated Dorcas. Now she is back here trying to salvvage her reputation by  quickly getting married," snickered a bemused Chava. 

Now the real housewives of  Nazareth scurried back to their houses filled to the brim with something  more than filled water pots. Whiffs of the wagging tongues continually reached Mary’s ears. She knew that the next few months before the baby’s birth that she was going to have a hard time in Nazareth.  "Well,  at least I have the assurance that an angel told Joseph the facts, so let them keep to their ignorance," Mary  silently mused.

Mary  knew she had done nothing wrong. She also knew she couldn’t convince these women of the holy thing that was happening to her. Hadn’t every Jewish girl dreamed of being the mother of the Messiah?  “Here I am,  I should be celebrating that I was chosen, but now I feel like a villain,” she thought to herself. 

Mary learned that being chosen by God does not 

mean that there will not be misunderstandings and controversy.

Based on Luke 1

Dear Fiancé I'm Having a Baby, and It's Not Yours

Second

Mary was apprehensive about telling  Joseph the stunning news about her baby.   Just as Mary expected, Joseph responded in shock and surprise. All through the night she replayed in her mind his voice filled with dismay saying, “ Mary, how could you..?”   Over and over she rehearsed the scene of his slowly walking away from her. She recalled he never looked back as she sat on a rock silently weeping. Pretty soon she was sure the whole town would know. Her whole family would be disgraced. That Angel didn't tell me that I'd be an outcast in this town. I could even be stoned. I mean really who would believe that I am pregnant and that no man was involved. Joseph thinks I was sleeping with somebody else, she mused as she cried herself to sleep. 

At his home, Joseph was lost in his thoughts.  He remembered that since he first saw Mary he desperately loved her. “I believed she loved me too,”  he thought.  “I just can’t believe she would betray our marriage vows,” His confused thoughts troubled him. He contemplated what he should do.  He thought “ I could expose her, and hurt her as she’s hurt me,  but I love her.”  As he was considering a quiet way to break off this betrothal he drifted off to sleep.  An angelic visit in his dream changed his plans.  The angel said this really was a God thing that happened to Mary.  With his doubts removed he knew what he had to do.

As the sun rose he dressed, skipped his breakfast and quickly made his way to Mary’s home. Waiting for her to get dressed his heart raced as he considered that this will be our wedding day.  I am going to be the father of the Messiah. “Well I’m going to be the caretaker, the foster parent the , the, what’s the right word, “ he wondered. Whatever, I will be the husband of Mary, the mother of the Messiah.

Meanwhile as Mary dressed she was dreading seeing Joseph. Mary thought,  “He is  probably going to take me to the center of the town.”  “There in front of  everybody he’ll  tell everyone what a horrible person I am for getting pregnant and that he’s not the father, she reflected. “ She started to think, “ I  wonder if the stoning will take long before I die.”  Sadly she looked around her little space as if to say good-bye because she knew she would never return to this room again.

When she entered the room instead of an angry man she saw a soft smile on Joseph’s face. Joseph explained that he’d been visited by one of God’s angels who told him the whole story.  He assured Mary he wanted to get married right away. 

Mary learned that when one has a promise of  God that 

God is responsible for working out the details

**

Based on Matthew 1:18 - 25