Saturday, December 10, 2011

Wait...I didn't sign up for this!

Have you ever looked in on someone's life and thought...man, I wish I could be them? I find it increasing easier to fall into this state of thinking with facebook prying the doors of our lives open for the world to see. I realize that things aren't always the way the seem to apprear, but for the most part...it's still easy to live in the land of If only.....

A few weeks ago I started reading through the Gospel of Matthew, and I just can't seem to get over chapter 1. Instead of continuing to chapter 2...I skipped ahead to the Gospel of Luke. The beginnings of both books open with an angel of the Lord that comes to Joseph and Mary to announce that Mary will be found with child even though she has been untouched. This baby will be the Son of the Most High.


Hmp! What a thought... I kind of wonder what they were thinking. Matthew explains that before the angel had appeared to Joseph, Joseph was planning to divorce Mary quietly. Luke describes Mary questioning how this could possibly happen seeing as she is a virgin. It seems to me that this "Good News" did not feel like good news to either of them at first.

You might think that hearing the news that your baby was going to be the Son of the Most High would be exhilerating! You know that feeling you get when you hear really good news? You feel like jumping up and down and shouting for joy and you just can't stop smiling no matter how hard you try. This should have been the ultimate good news! Jesus is the definition of Good News!

But, (I think) Mary and Joseph were both a little bit afraid. They weren't quite sure how it was going to work. They had been planning on a "normal" life. Get married first...then have a family. Now all of a sudden they get this Good News!

I wonder if Mary or Joseph ever looked in on their friends' lives and wished upon them or day-dreamed of being them. It would have been easy to have the "normal" life. But, God had other plans. And, both Joseph and Mary were willing to go along with those plans. They didn't sign up for it, but they loved God and trusted in His good and perfect plan. And, the rest is history.

Sometimes I feel really discouraged about where God has me...His timing...my lack of knowledge of His plan... I often think...I didn't sign up for feeling like this all the time. I didn't sign up for waiting waiting and more waiting. I didn't sign up for walking blindly. Then, I remember I kind of did. The second I said "I do" to Christ, I signed up for this rollercoaster. God's plan is so much better than anything I could ever imagine. Do you think Mary and Joseph would have traded their story for ANYTHING else? I don't. I think they are SO happy that they trusted God and obeyed.


Father Lord, help me to trust and obey You. Let me lean on Your promises. I am exactly where You want me. And, being uncomfortable for a little while in order to fulfill your plan is better than any comfort I could dream up for myself. Thank You for Your Son, God. And, thank You for the way in which You chose to bring Him into this world. It's easy to question Your ways, Lord. Help me to remember that You ways are higher than my ways. God, You are so good. I am so in love with You. Let me fall even more in love with You each day. Satisfy me from the inside out. Love You Always, Alliegirl

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