Mary's Story: Part Two

Here is the second installment of Mary's Story. Enjoy! The last part will be posted Christmas Eve - one week from today! :)

The next day, Mary walked to Joseph’s shop with trepidation. Would he understand what she had to tell him? He must know, and her news was sure to affect him deeply. She had told her parents the night before, and they had taken the news quite well. It was a shock to them, of course, but they had never known her to lie and they trusted her. They had encouraged her to tell Joseph first thing today. They weren’t sure how he would take the news. Would he cancel their marriage plans, or even have her stoned to death?

Mary stopped at the door to Joseph’s shop and watched as he sanded down the top of a table he had just finished. The table’s surface glowed from the smoothing and polish that Joseph had applied. He must have felt her gaze, because he looked toward the door.

"Mary! Come in and see! I made it for us – for our home. Do you like it?”

Mary stepped into the shop and admired the table, running her hand over the smooth top and admiring the scroll work on the legs.

“It’s beautiful, Joseph. How hard you must have worked. I can just see us sitting down to dinner with our children at this fine table.” Mary turned away as tears filled her eyes. Would they ever get to share a meal at this table?

“Mary, what is wrong?” Joseph was instantly by her side, concern filling his eyes. “has something happened?”

Mary took a deep breath as she prepared to answer. “Yes, something has happened, Joseph. But it is wonderful news, really. If only you understand…”

“Understand what, Mary? What wonderful news would cause you to fill with sadness?”

“Not sadness, Joseph. Just fear. Although, I shouldn’t be afraid, Jehovah is in charge and I am his handmaiden.”

“Mary, please stop speaking in riddles and tell me what has happened.”

“I am with child.”

“What?”

“Yes, Joseph. Let me explain.” As Mary told him of the events of the previous day, Joseph’s eyes filled with amazement, then anger, then sorrow.

“Please, go, Mary. I need to think.”

Mary left the shop in tears. How could she make him understand that what she said was true? She couldn’t, only the LORD could help him understand. When she arrived home, she told her parents of her visit. Her father went to Joseph to try to explain and to intercede on her behalf. When he returned, the news wasn’t good. Joseph was considering terminating the engagement, although in a private manner. At least he wouldn’t have her stoned.

Mary’s father had a suggestion. “I think you should take a trip, Mary. Go see our cousin Elizabeth. A visit to her would be of great comfort to you, I think.”

Mary agreed and preparations were quickly made for the trip. Two days later, she left, without hearing anything else from Joseph.

The trip was long, but finally she reached her destination near Jerusalem. When she entered the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth, she called out her greeting. Elizabeth came running with tears of joy.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”[1]

Mary was so grateful! Someone else believed! Someone else knew, without Mary even telling her! Truly the LORD was paving the way for the Messiah! As she was filled with joy, Mary’s heart overflowed with praise.

“My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”[2]

Mary enjoyed her visit with Elizabeth. They excitedly prepared for both of their children, making small garments and trying to imagine what their little ones would be like. After three months, Mary received a message to come home as soon as possible. Had Joseph had a change of heart? Would they be married after all?

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[1] From New American Standard www.crosswalk.com

[2] Ibid.

Images Courtesy of Graphics By Irene

Story copyright Charity M. December 2006. The author kindly requests that you seek her permission before using this story in any form. Thank you.

Mary's Story is to be continued each Monday until Christmas.
I hope you enjoy it!

Merry Christmas!!!

Mary's Story: Part One

Merry Christmas from me! The following post and the next two posts are all part of a story that I wrote for my Sunday School class last year. I wanted to share it with you, as my Christmas gift. We don't know much about the emotions of Mary although the Bible does share some with us. We also don't know much about the events of the lives of those that had a part in the Birth of Christ. What follows is my idea of how these events might have taken place, and how Mary felt in reaction to those events. I hope you enjoy it!

Mary hurried home after her morning trip to the well. The sun was well on it’s way on its daily trip across the Galilean sky. She had spent too much time chatting with Hannah, and Mother would need the water. But, oh, she had had so much to discuss with Hannah. So much could happen in a day! To think that she was engaged to Joseph! He was so handsome, dark hair and deep brown eyes, and his manner was so kind and gentle. To think that he would desire her as a wife! Hannah had been surprised, but of course she knew of Mary’s desire to be wed, now that she was a woman. Hannah knew of Mary’s admiration for the young carpenter, and to think that Mary’s fondest desire was to come true!

Mary tripped a little in her rush. The water sloshed about in her pitcher, and a little spilled out leaving dark spots in the dust on her sandaled feet. Mary was quick to regain her footing and continue on home.

“There was much to discuss at the well today, Mary?” Mother smiled as she rescued the pitcher from Mary’s excited hands. Mary nodded and smiled. Mother remembered how it was to be betrothed to the one she had admired. Mother also remembered the chatter that went on among the young women at the well in Nazareth.

“I’m sorry I took so long, Mother. Hannah had many questions.”

“She always was a curious one, just like her mother. My sister drove our mother to distraction with her questions as we grew up.”

Mary reflected on the events of the last evening as she continued to help her mother with the meal preparations. She had been so surprised when Joseph showed up at their door before the evening meal. She almost forgot to invite him in, and when she did remember the words were hard in coming. One look into those eyes and all words took wing. She had been even more shocked when he asked to speak with her father. Although custom usually dictated that the two fathers arranged the marriages between a son and daughter, Joseph had come on his own behalf, his father having died when he was young. Besides, he was a man on his own and could speak for himself. He was quite capable of providing for a bride. His carpentry work was in high demand all around Galilee. And to think that he would choose her for a wife!!

Time passed as Mary and her family began the preparations for the coming marriage. Her garments had to be sewn and the items gathered for her dowry – fine linen and gold coins. Her father was a successful shepherd, but she and Joseph would have little need for sheep, or room to care for them.

Mary sang softly to herself as she cared for the lambs of her father’s flock. She would miss these young ones. They were her favorite job, always so much fun to watch and often they allowed her to cuddle them. Their antics never failed to amuse her as the frolicked around. A noise behind her startled her from her amusement and she turned. Standing behind her was a man, or was he? His face seemed to glow from within and his garments were unsoiled by the dust at his feet. Her breath caught in her throat. She felt afraid, but did not feel as though he would harm her.

“Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”[1]

Mary trembled at his words. What kind of greeting was that? This man was obviously not from Galilee. He spoke as no one she had ever known. And why would he say she was highly favored among all women, she was just a young woman of Galilee. This person’s words were quite troubling indeed.

“Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Mary was shocked at his words! How could this thing happen? She was not yet married!

“How can this thing happen to me? I am a virgin.”

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

“I am here, a servant of the Lord. Let it happen to me just as you have said.”

The man turned and was gone. A warmth filled Mary’s stomach and she knew. To think that she was the chosen one for this honor. Israel had been waiting for the Messiah for four hundred years, to think that now was the time, and she was the woman. And from Galilee. But… OH… HOW was she to explain this to Joseph?

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[1] From the King James Version: www.crosswalk.com

Graphics courtesy of Graphics By Irene

Story copyright Charity M. December 2006. The author kindly requests that you seek her permission before using this story in any form. Thank you.

Lasting Influence

I have found, out in "blogdom," a few blogs that uphold some of the same values that I hold to - especially in terms of true womanhood. I came across this posting this evening, from The Pleasant Times blog, and thought that many of you would enjoy it and benefit from it. It is titled "Girls and their Influence."

Here are a couple of "teaser" quotes to get you started:

In regard to modesty:

If a girl dresses decently and modestly, a boy will have different conduct towards her than with other girls. Even if he is not acquainted with her, he may speak differently to her, use a more serious tone with her, be more sincere in conversation with her, than he would with immodest girls. Immodestly dressed girls are assumed to be immodest in conduct as well, so a boy will be inclined to take more liberties with his words and mannerisms and foolishness with her. He thinks she will like this kind of thing, whereas the girl who is modest and serious would not approve of any conduct less than a gentleman's.

In regard to life in general:

The girl I am describing will have a better time in life than the wild and unchecked girl. Boys will be more cautious not to offend her, and are more inclined to treat her right. Folks old and young will curb their swearing or idle talk when she is around. People will come to her for advice, or know she can be relied upon for certain responsibilities. She will secure men's good opinion wherever she goes. She will find doors opened for her in life, both literally and figuratively. She will find many friends to value, and who value her, and would not want to drag her down in the mire.

The Battle of the Mind

Most conflicts, if not all, begin with a single thought. (Wow, you might be saying, she sure is brilliant... or not. :) Well, let me continue.) Ofttimes the temptations we face and the internal battles we fight are brought on by a single train of thought. If this train is allowed to continue to roll around in our brains, it becomes longer and longer and may lead to a temptation in a certain area and then to sin. Where does the thought come from? Contrary to some beliefs, thoughts themselves are not sin, but it is what we do with those thoughts that can lead to sin.

Let me explain what I mean a little more. Satan knows his first battle ground in fighting for a soul is in the person's mind. Thus he sometimes plants thoughts in our brain, perhaps by whispering them in our ear or by having someone else bring the thought to our attention. (Hint: this is why it is sooo important to watch out for what we are putting in our minds with books, magazines, radio, other audio/visual media, and what we talk about with others! Sometimes it is better to be thought "dumb" about certain things, than to know things that are going to negatively affect your walk with Christ.)

Here is an example, maybe a little far fetched, but hopefully will get the point across: You are at the bank cashing the check your grandma sent for your birthday. Some thought enters your mind, "Rob the bank and you will be rich!" You think Where did that come from? but you continue to dwell on the thought as you wait in line. Maybe you don't do it this time, but as the days pass, you continue to allow your mind to go back to that train of though. Boy, I sure could use the money right now! My cell phone bill is due next week - all those texts sure do add up! So by the next time you go to the bank, you have decided to get rich quick! You rob the bank, the surveillance cameras record you, your picture is all over the news, you are arrested that evening for theft, and you spend the next twenty years paying for your crime! And all this would have been avoided, had you not dwelt on that first single thought!

So, really, you probably aren't going to be tempted to rob a bank, right? But Satan doesn't tempt us in things that have no appeal for us. He probably keeps a card file of everyone's personalities and is sure to tempt them in something that will have a chance of causing them to fall! So how do we fight this?? By starting where it all begins... thus, the battle of the mind!

Battle Strategy
I believe that every person fights this battle of the mind in one way or another. Here is a Scripture that God gave me this verse in 2 Corinthians 10, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" Personally, I visualize myself binding up the thought and casting it out of my mind. And the guideline for inappropriate thoughts is does it go against God's laws? and of course it is pure, lovely, true, etc.... (Philippians 4:8) Not only do you need to bind up the thought and cast it out, but when it comes back to mind, because Satan doesn't always give up after one try, to remember that you have cast out that thought and make a conscience decision to not dwell on it and PRAY, for only with Christ can you truly win. This battle of the mind is fought over many different issues such as modesty, purity, life choices, and just fill in the blank for the battle that you are fighting! God has promised His help when we ask and also that He would never give us more than we can bear - 1 Corinthians 10:13.


**Image courtesy of www.south-africa-tourism.com