I can't believe that it's Thursday already. Just five more days until Christmas. I have really been enjoying writing to you each day. It has really helped me to stay focused on the important aspects of Christmas and not dwell on any of the negative things going in my life. I really have been so blessed these past few weeks.
This morning during my personal scripture study I was thinking a lot about Mary. What must it have been like for her? Not an easy thing to be "favored" of God. An incredible honor and privilege, but not an easy thing to endure.
Mary has been praised throughout history, but her own generation wasn't too kind to her. Imagine the scandal. A young woman (possibly sixteen years of age) who became pregnant outside of marriage. In that time and culture, her situation was disastrous. Imagine the pressure and stress that Mary endured--not to mention the comments and judgements.
But the gossip mill in her hometown of Nazareth wasn't the worst part. She had to tell Joseph that she was pregnant and he knew that he wasn't the father. Imagine the suspense as she waited for his reaction. Would he call off their engagement? If he abandoned her, she would certainly be a social reject the rest of her life; no one would marry her. Mary's only recourse would be to turn to her own father, but even he might cast her out of his household in disgrace. She had seen women in this plight living on the outskirts of town, and they had only two career choices; prostitution or begging.
When viewed in this light, being "favored" by God doesn't seem so special, does it? But perhaps that's the lesson Heavenly Father is trying to teach us through the life story of Mary. God's blessings don't exactly translate into a life of fame and fortune, peace and prosperity. To the contrary, from the time she was visited by Gabriel, she probably encountered more pain than pleasure.
- At the outset, there was the scandal of her out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
- Then there came the difficult circumstance of using a stable as a delivery room.
- Then, when King Herod issued a decree to kill all Jewish baby boys, Mary and Joseph packed up the baby Jesus and became fugitives, escaping to Egypt.
- As her son grew into manhood, Mary lived with the knowledge that the Prophet Isaiah had predicted that the Messiah would be tortured. She knew her son was the one the prophets referred to as the "suffering servant." She lived with the unabating, penetrating pain of knowing that her son would be slaughtered for the sins of the world.
- And if that wasn't enough, she was an eyewitness to His crucifixion.
Yet Mary didn't hesitate to accept God's plan for her life. There is no indication that she ever complained or cursed God for the circumstances she endured as part of His plan. Quite the contrary. Her response to Gabriel was a resounding, "I am the Lord's servant."
At Christmastime it is customary for people to gather in prayers to thank the Lord for His favor and many blessings. But the story of Mary suggests that His favor may involve putting us through difficult circumstances in order to accomplish His plans. Are we truly willing servants, ready to accept whatever He wants? Maybe it takes that attitude to realize that we are blessed with God's favor simply by His love for us.
It can take an eternal perspective to find Heavenly Father's blessings in our present circumstances. The essence of His grace is His favor. Mary had God's favor, and so do we. But we will miss out on many of our Father's blessings if we don't expect to find them in the midst of difficulties; because Heavenly Father loves us so much that He'll allow us to endure hardship so that we can learn and grow into the person He intends for us to be. I think that if a person thinks that wealth and prosperity are the only sure signs of God's blessings, then Satan has done a good job of deluding them and turning their eye to worldy treasures.
I am so humbled by Mary's response, "I am the Lord's servant." I hope that I too can rise to any challenges and trials set before me and that I can continue to grow in my understanding of the gospel and the plan of salvation.
I'm so grateful that I have a mother who has shown me by example of what it means to be a woman, a daughter and a friend and look for the silver linings in the midst of trials. I love you Mom! Merry Christmas!
Till Tomorrow,
Holley
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