BEYOND THE GLAMOUR

I have done a lot of thinking about the birth of Jesus.  We read The Word and it is such a beautiful story.  We forget what goes on during birthing-how it actually happens. In my journey through historical fiction, I have read several books about mid-wives.  It has dawned upon me what the scene really must have looked like- Not the G rated version--but the real life version.

When I had my last child, the two older brothers who were 15 and 7 came to see their sister in the birthing room shortly after she was born--BEFORE the room had been cleaned up.  I well remember the comment one of them made-"YUCK!".  Yes birthing is messy--not the clean straw--shear white swaddling clothes--pristine event we tend to depict when we remember that day.  We would scare off the masses if we gave a real  life picture.  So we skim right over the pain--the long hours of pain--the fright--that Mary must have felt.  We jump right into the plump sweet baby in His mother's arms with all clean and bright.

Babies are born with pain and mess.
This does not diminish the beauty of birth--it is one of God's true miracles, but you have to go through the pain and mess to witness the blessing.

So are our lives---they are painful--they are messy---but that does not lessen the great joy we also live with.  God has allowed me to suffer pain--He has allowed my life to be a mess---and then He showed me the blessing of His presence.  

I am thankful during this Advent Season for Mary's pain--and her willingness to endure the mess that came with bringing Our Savior into this world.  What could be more beautiful than the birth of a baby--but especially this baby.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7