Mary's Song

Many years ago, I wrote a song about the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. While singing through the lyrics, it brought me to tears. Like you, I wonder about many things surrounding the birth of Jesus. As a woman, I can relate more to how Mary felt than any other character in the Christmas story. If you allow me the opportunity, I would like to share the first stanza from Mary's Song that God laid on my heart many years ago.

I can't imagine your face when an angel stood in that place. Mary, you're pregnant a baby's on the way.

Did hearing the news cause you to stop and pray? You must've been the new talk of the town. People accusin' of runnin' around. (If they only knew.)

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, informing her that she would conceive and bear a Son named Jesus, she was shocked. She wondered how this was possible since she had not known a man intimately (Luke 1:30-34). With the Son of God in her womb, it might be easy for one's ego to become quite large. But this was Mary. In her song of praise to God, she wrote, "For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant" (Luke 1:43). Mary knew this birth was about Jesus, and she felt honored to play a part in His story (history).

For a woman to conceive a child in Bible times without being married would have been an automatic death sentence. Remember when the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had committed adultery? (John 8:3). The Pharisees, the kind beings they were, reminded Jesus of His law given to Moses, which said that the punishment was to stone her (John 8:5).

Jesus, who always had a clever way of avoiding traps presented to Him by the Pharisees, said, "Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone" (John 8:7). After writing a word in the sand, which I believe was the word forgiven, the crowd slowly began to walk away.

If you look at the people God chooses to fulfill His ministries, He doesn't choose clanging cymbals, as I like to refer to them (1 Corinthians 13:1). Oh, you know the clanging cymbals of the world. You might work with one or be married to one. These are the loud, arrogant people who think highly of themselves. God cannot work with a clanging cymbal because of their pride. He chooses the meek, humble, and lowly. Matthew 5:5 reminds us that, "The meek [quiet, gentle, submissive] will inherit the earth." Mary is a prime example of a woman who was submissive to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Although she may have been quiet and gentle, she was also strong. God protected her during this time because she was carrying His child. I believe He also protected her because she was a child of God. He does the same for you and me today.

As referenced in the lyrics above, I cannot fathom what other women were saying about her. It is easy to get caught up in this talk at school, work, in the home, or even at church. "Did you see ___? She looked pregnant to me. Did she look pregnant to you? I wonder who the daddy is this time." "I cannot believe she is pregnant. We all know what she must be doing around town. She better stay away from my husband is all I have to say!"

Oh, we all have our opinions. They're like belly buttons - everybody's got one! Strength comes from ignoring these comments and focusing our hearts on Jesus. I'm sure Mary had to be like the virtuous woman found in Proverbs 31 just to step outside the door most days. "She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms" (Proverbs 31:17).

What can we take away from Mary's example. I have three key points I would like to share with you.

1. Don't let anybody stop you from doing what the Lord has laid on your heart. Just GO! Step out of the boat and follow Him. Trust me, your life will forever be changed.

2. Trust God. He knows what He is doing in your life. Let Him sit in the driver's seat of your life. Step back. Let go and let God.

3. Never limit God. We limit Him when we start telling him what will happen in a situation, how far something will go, how He will bless us. My sister, my friend, you have no idea where God can take you when you learn to dwell with Him. Malachi 3:10 says He has a storehouse of blessings waiting to pour down on us. He has so much goodness that, "There will not be enough room to store it."

So, what about you? Are you ready to step out on faith to see what God has waiting for you? Mary followed God and, in her song, she wrote, "From now on, all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). Will people look at your life and know that you are blessed by God?

I have a new 4-day Bible study entitled "Little but Significant" about Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.