Christmas is in the air, in my home, and in my heart.
In my home office, there is a small library of books on the bookshelves that I've read over and over. Books that speak to me. They are heavily dog-eared, because I don't believe in writing in books. Dog-ears at the top of the page means that's where I left off reading. Oh! but if the bottom of the page is dog-eared, there is a morsel on that page that speaks to my soul and I want to know where to find it quickly, so I bend the small corner of the page.
Remembering there is a book about the women of Christmas, I pulled that pretty red book off the shelf to step back in time, over 2,000 years ago, before there was Christmas...
The Christmas story always comes with three wise men and with all due respect, they have a magical role in Jesus birth, but there were three women God chose also for [His]story: Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna.
God values women and the great story of Christmas began with God setting the stage for Jesus birth through these three women. Elizabeth, barren in old age, yet faithful to God, an angel of the Lord appeared to her husband, "Do not be afraid... your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John." - Luke 1:13 John would be one day known as John the Baptist.
When Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to Mary, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God... you will conceive... and give birth to a son... and you are to call him Jesus." - Luke 1:30-31
The angel Gabriel told Mary, "Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age..." - Luke 1:36. Mary set out on a journey to see Elizabeth, and when Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby leapt in her womb. Being flooded with overwhelming desire to shout with joy, "... and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit... In a loud voice she exclaimed... blessed are you among women... and blessed is the child will bear." - Luke 1:41-42
Elizabeth was too old, her relative Mary was too young and a virgin.
God is setting the stage for Jesus birth and doing it through His power through remarkable conceptions, that He can do all things.
Then, there was Anna. An old woman, a widow, a prophetess, who never left the temple. Anna "worshipped night and day... fasting and praying" waiting for the Messiah to appear. When Jesus was brought into the temple, Anna knew. She knew. She knew the way that Elizabeth knew. The Holy Spirit revealed to the prophetess that this was indeed the Christ. "She gave thanks go God." - Luke 2:38
There was much planning and preparation before Christmas came to be and God chose these three women. I think of my holy God excited and setting the stage.
My daughter is 20 weeks pregnant and today, I saw the 1st ultrasound photo of my grandbaby. My constant prayers for this baby and it's safe arrival. I think back to those wee in the early of the morning hour phone calls, when I heard the tiredness and in pain in my daughter's voice, and those beautiful words, "Mom, I'm in labor, we are going to the hospital..."
The months of excitement, anticipation, and preparation and it's "Go time!"
When I look at the photos of my daughter when she was in labor with Sofia, I was holding her leg up, and she was concentrating hard and pushing. Me, I was beaming in joy. I didn't realize it until I saw the photos. "Push, sweet girl!!"
Not knowing Sofia's gender until she came out, my daughter reached down and lifted her up from between her legs and shouted, "It's a girl!!" before anyone else could see her gender.
What joy!! There are no fireworks as grand as the fireworks in my heart when I learn of my grandbabies and at their births.
Imagine... the heart of God when Jesus was born... heavenly hosts appearing, praising, and singing, "Glory to God in the highest..." What a heavenly celebration that must have been!
Imagine that 1st Christmas.
In these crazy times, when the news and world is shouting, "Covid, presidential elections, vaccinations!!" Make sure your heart is shouting ever louder...
For unto us a child is born...
his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,
The Mighty God,
The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace
