Throughout the Old Testament we find prophecy of the coming Messiah. Every Jewish mother thought her daughter might be the virgin to deliver this promise. I'm sure none of them considered what would actually be involved in the process. During the Christmas season, we reflect on the birth of Christ, but have we actually contemplated consequences to Mary for being the mother of the Son of God?
I'm sure that all the good Jewish mothers who had been hoping their daughters would be the chosen one of God were the first ones to gossip about Mary when the news got out that she was expecting. "A pregnant virgin. Sure. I heard that she was sneaking out to visit Joseph when no one was looking." Joseph himself barely believed it. He had to have an angel come to him in a dream before he was convinced.
As if that weren't bad enough, she was forced to travel when she probably wanted nothing more than to stay home with her swollen feet propped up. When I say travel, I don't mean riding in an Escalade and stopping at IHOP for brunch. No, this poor woman was ready to deliver any minute and was riding a donkey through the desert. Definitely not my idea of an ideal trip, and I'm not schlepping a 7 pound baby and 15 pounds of extra fluid.
Just when you think I've described the most horrible situation imaginable, may I remind you that Mary was forced to sleep, and eventually give birth, in a barn? I don't remember reading in the account of the birth of Jesus that Mary & Joseph were traveling with a doctor, a nurse, or even a midwife. This leads me to believe that Mary probably delivered alone or with the help of the innkeeper's wife, since men were definitely not permitted in the delivery room. Can you imagine what the mothers did with that? "The Messiah?...I don't think so. Do you think YWHW would allow His son to be born in a stable? That girl is crazy."
If you think that kind of talk didn't follow her everywhere she went as Jesus was growing up, you've never been to a PTA meeting.
The strength of women is overwhelming. Our tenacity takes us through things that men would never be able to endure. Embrace that. Love it. Let it carry you through when you feel like giving up. Tell the women around you how much you admire their fortitude. When you're tempted to talk about another woman, stop and think about what she might be going through. When you feel like sitting down and quitting, remember that you're not the one giving birth in a barn while the whole neighborhood is talking about you.
Mary didn't know and neither do we. All we can do is keep schlepping and hope we get out of the desert soon.
