No More Than A Girl...

Mary....

She was no more than a girl when a powerful heavenly angel came face to face with her. Not only that, this angel informed her that she had been chosen by the Most High to be the mother of THE most powerful man to have ever walked this earth.

To read her mind during that time in her life would have been a privilege.

The thoughts, the fears, the questions, the wonder, the amazement...it must have consumed her very being.

I can only imagine some of the thoughts flowing through her mind.

How will I tell Joseph?

What will he say? What will he do?

How will I tell my family?

Will I lose those closest to me as they discover I'm pregnant? Will they believe that I was faithful?

Why would I be chosen to be the mother of this child?

Am I worthy? 

She must have experienced such inner turmoil as she pondered her life, the life of her forthcoming child, and the man she was destined to marry.

YET....

Mary praised her creator with her whole heart. She trusted in His plan for her and this child DESPITE the rumors that were flying around town about her. She trusted in His plan as her soon-to-be husband had thought to quietly divorce her. She trusted in His plan despite everything that was swirling in her in and around her.

She trusted God. That's all she needed in order to become the woman that today's world knows as the mother of Jesus.

Greater Expectations

Expectations....

We all have them.

We expect others to live up to our standard of what we deem is acceptable in society. We expect our children to obey, mind their manners, do well in school, and the list goes on. We expect our friends to be there for us in the rough times. We expect our parents to be what we think a good parent is.

We expect so many things of others.

But...

What happens when those expectations are not lived up to?

What happens when the people we expect the most out of end up disappointing us?

On the flipside, what is expected of us? What do others deem as necessary for our lives?

or an even bigger question...

What do we expect of ourselves?

And what happens when we fail to live up to our own expectations?

We can spend our lives striving to live up to the expectations of those around us. We start as children being taught to obey our parents and authority figures in our lives. We want to please them and inwardly struggle when we fail to do that. We feel we've let them down and in turn work harder to please them even more. Later on in life we aim to please our employers to so we can maintain a job for security in life. We want to please our friends all throughout life so they'll remain our friends.

But somehow, through it all, we create a mental list of expectations for ourselves. We want to please and not disappoint others. We want to do well in life and succeed. We want to marry the right person, raise well-behaved children, have a nice home and vehicle or two, and have that dream career that has been inspiration to work hard. We want to say we're happy and content in the end.

And when those expectations aren't met what happens?

Disappointment, resentment, anger and other feelings begin to set in. We start failing to see what we do have and can be grateful for. Our hearts can be sad for a time but in the end we are responsible for how we live our lives.

It's a sad and slow process as those feelings of resentment, anger and disappointment engulf our hearts. We become blinded to what's good. No, you may not have your dream home but you do have a roof over your head. No, you may not have that new expensive car but you do have a car. You may struggle with your spouse or children but they still love you for who you are. No, you may not have the job you've always dreamed of but you have a job to pay the bills and put food on the table.


It's time to take a look at ourselves and realize what our expectations are. Are our expectations reasonable? Is it time to re-evaluate and figure out what really is important? Does it really matter what other people think of us?


What really matters?

 

Hindsight is 20/20

Change. It abounds. Seasons, time, people, even me. We have come through a season of change. This is change that we never expected to have but always longed for. Our lives have been turned upside down and inside out but in a positive way. Our Monday to Friday jobs no longer exist with their regular work hours. Our free evenings and weekends are gone. We live hundreds of kilometers away from our family and friends. The convenience of city life is no longer an option for us. And although we miss some of those elements, we are working on embracing an entirely new way of life. Irregular work hours that include many weekends and evenings, getting to know the people in our new community, and adjusting to the fact that we can't run to the store for this and that after 6 pm. My soul is adjusting to the changes too. Longing for the familiarity of HOME, of the people I can be completely myself around, and wondering if we really did make the right decision in making these changes. We wanted this change. We desperately needed this change. The process of getting here has been far from easy but it's exactly what we've needed. The fear of the unknown; where are we going to live, how can we afford to live,are we going to make friends, are people going to like us, are we going to thrive in this new community....it's all coming together now. I know God has a plan for us as a family and for me as an individual. It's not always easy to remember that though. As I reflect on this season of change, I can see that He has me and my family in his care. We've made it. We're settling in to be a positive part of this community. We're making friends and some of whom will be very close. Our needs are taken care of despite the worry my mind seems to conjure up. I am grateful to be here despite my moments of doubt and sadness. There was a time when I fully doubted this would be a reality for us...and here we are. It really is a miracle.