{"id":2298,"date":"2011-12-16T01:00:55","date_gmt":"2011-12-16T06:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2298"},"modified":"2011-12-14T15:32:51","modified_gmt":"2011-12-14T20:32:51","slug":"a-confused-young-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/12\/a-confused-young-mother.html","title":{"rendered":"A Confused Young Mother"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine the confusion of the young mother.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0Nine months before, her life had been interrupted by an angel. \u00a0He said she would conceive a child and that he would be the Son of God. \u00a0He was the Messiah–king of the earth. \u00a0When her fiance had not believed her, he had been visited by an angel.<\/p>\n

Now they were stranded in Bethlehem. \u00a0Luke’s account of the birth tells us that she and her husband, Joseph, had traveled to this small hamlet to register to pay taxes. \u00a0While they were there, it came time for her to give birth. \u00a0But there was no room. \u00a0No place to stay. \u00a0No vacancies in the inns.<\/p>\n

I can imagine Joseph searched frantically to find a place–any place that Mary would be comfortable. \u00a0Any room off the streets and away from preying, curious eyes. \u00a0Finally, he knocked on one door and the innkeeper offered them the stable. \u00a0Joseph looked down at Mary with hope in his eyes.<\/p>\n

She was scared and confused. \u00a0Would the king of the world, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah be born in a stable? \u00a0Joseph wondered,\u00a0What could Mary say?<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0She had to get out of the streets, but a stable? \u00a0Homeless and weary, Joseph escorted Mary to the small structure behind the inn. \u00a0“Where will we put the baby?” Mary asked. \u00a0Her voice filled with tears and deep, strained emotion. \u00a0“There is nothing here but a manger?”<\/p>\n

Without a word, Joseph positioned the manger close to her as she lay down on the hay. \u00a0Knowing that there was no other choice, she pleaded, \u00a0“No, Joseph, the animals lick that thing. \u00a0We can’t put the baby in there.” \u00a0The long trip and nights sleeping outside had taken its toll on this young mother. \u00a0She was bone weary and her child would come tonight. \u00a0He would be born in a stable; and she would wrap him in swaddling cloths and lay him in the manger.<\/p>\n

For Mary, the depth of her emotions flowed from the uncertainty of the moment and the inconvenience of this place. \u00a0Her mind must have raced,\u00a0What have we done wrong? \u00a0Why has this happened? \u00a0Did I sin? \u00a0Did Joseph and I sin? \u00a0What did we do to bring us to this place? \u00a0How can I allow the Messiah to be born in a stable?<\/em><\/p>\n

Within moments, the contractions and exhaustion replaced all thoughts of place and time. \u00a0Then, as the baby was born, Mary saw the most beautiful child she could ever imagine. \u00a0Strong, healthy and as radiant as the first morning light. \u00a0Now, he consumed her thoughts and heart. \u00a0Yet, the whispers of doubt kept trying to sweep through her mind.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Then a quiet knock and several shepherds crept into the stable. \u00a0Bowed reverently, they spoke in excited whispers about the swaddling cloths. \u00a0 “Beg your pardon, Ma’am,” they said with awe through their Bethlehem accents. \u00a0Slowly, they told the story of a night spent on the hilltop keeping their sheep and angels–a multitude–too many to count. \u00a0“Peace on earth. \u00a0Good will to men of God,” the angels had said.<\/p>\n

How could Mary understand that this child had to be born in a lowly estate so that every person would know that he was like them–even in his birth.<\/p>\n

As we minister to people with disabilities, they have questions that often cannot be answered. \u00a0But some of them can be answered.\u00a0\u00a0Did God make a mistake when he made me? \u00a0Did I sin to cause my disabilities? \u00a0Did someone else sin? \u00a0Will God reject me because of how I was born? \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Christmas promise tells us that God does not make mistakes. \u00a0Our members weren’t a mistake. \u00a0Their sin didn’t cause their intellectual disabilities. \u00a0God made them; and when they accept Jesus as their Savior, they are made perfect in God’s sight.<\/p>\n

Confusion can be erased in the hearts of people who know the Lord, especially within our sub-culture. \u00a0God doesn’t make juke. \u00a0He makes perfection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine the confusion of the young mother. \u00a0Nine months before, her life had been interrupted by an angel. \u00a0He said she would conceive a child and that he would be the Son of God. \u00a0He was the Messiah–king of the earth. \u00a0When her fiance had not believed her, he had been visited by an angel.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[305,5,334,3,182,40,186,49,16,8],"tags":[690,21,688,739,699,715,701,694,337,689],"class_list":["post-2298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-china","category-christianity","category-christmas","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-christmas","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mary-and-joseph","tag-mentally-challenged-community"],"yoast_head":"\nA Confused Young Mother - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/12\/a-confused-young-mother.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Confused Young Mother - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Imagine the confusion of the young mother. \u00a0Nine months before, her life had been interrupted by an angel. \u00a0He said she would conceive a child and that he would be the Son of God. \u00a0He was the Messiah–king of the earth. \u00a0When her fiance had not believed her, he had been visited by an angel.…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/12\/a-confused-young-mother.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-12-16T06:00:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-12-14T20:32:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/12\/Mary-on-donkey1-150x150.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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