Mary

I love Christmas and frankly, I don't care much for Advent. Why wait? Why hold back from saying, "Merry Christmas." It's not like we're waiting for the birth to occur. It's not like we have to patiently wait with the expectant mother. A birth is a risky thing, even in our modern times, but we know the birth will happen successfully. So I have a hard time waiting.

Like any expectant mother, I have to think that Mary must have had a hard time waiting, too. She had to leave home. What a thing to ask. No matter how spiritually mature she was, to leave her mother, other female relatives and friends must have been extremely tough. Many tears must have been shed. Now after riding alongside Joseph, they arrive in Bethlehem. We all know the story - "no room at the inn". With her hands pressed against her aching back, she must have been a sympathetic sight - "we've got a manger". Did she cry when she finally settled off her feet? She must have simply wanted the birth to happen: "Just get this baby out of me, please God."

For as much as we want our waiting to end, it is in the waiting that the growth occurs. Happy Advent and Merry Christmas! Tomorrow, I'll explore Joseph and the specialness of Christmas.