"They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child." Luke 2:16-17 (NLT)
I had the perfect plan for my husband's and my first Christmas together. We'd check off a list of 25 holiday-themed Hallmark movies, cuddle in our matching pajamas every night, participate in all the cutesy activities (insert snow tubing, ice skating, drinking hot cocoa, looking at Christmas lights, going to the Zoo Lights, etc.), and get holiday photos. But before I knew it, Christmas had made its grand entrance and exit and I missed it.
A week after Christmas, I remember disclosing my heartache to my therapist. We talked about why I was upset, and how all the things I'd envisioned for the perfect Christmas not only didn't happen but made me feel like a failure. He said my feelings were valid; I'd created expectations, and they were unfulfilled. But what we do with those feelings is certainly more important.
Though this year was our second Christmas together, there were still things that didn't go as planned. Our home tested positive for mold, a dog we thought about adopting wasn't available, and physical pain hit just when things should have been cheery. But God has gently reminded me in this season that Mary and Joseph didn't have the perfect holiday either. And yet, their response changed everything.
In Luke 1:26-38, the birth of Jesus was foretold. Mary, a young virgin girl, was found to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit. When Joseph, her husband-to-be, found out the news, he planned to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:19). He was a good man, but he had some doubts. After all, he certainly wasn't the father! Yet, he didn't want to see Mary stoned (and that was very possible). And to think she was obeying the will of God!
But in a turn of events, listed in numerous places in the Scriptures, Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, told Joseph that Mary was indeed pregnant, and she was telling the truth. There wasn't another man, and Mary was faithful to Joseph. Yet, Mary had been chosen by God to give birth to Jesus Christ—a baby who would grow up and save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38).
When the time finally came for Mary to give birth to Jesus, it wasn't in a luxury hotel with five-star reviews and fancy Fiji water. It was in a stinky, lowly, and humble stable, miles away from home. Even after Jesus was born, things wouldn't go as planned. Mary and Joseph would flee from Herod, live in a foreign land, and eventually watch their child grow up to be a man who was somehow respected and hated by men. They would watch Him hang on a cross, crucified for our sins, and wonder what happened to their precious baby in a manger. How could the people kill such an innocent person?
As depressing as that re-telling might sound, we know that's not the whole story. Jesus would not only die for our sins but be resurrected so that we, too, may someday be with Him in eternity. But none of that would've happened if Mary, Joseph, and even Jesus wouldn't have been open to a lifetime of things not going as planned.
In any and every season—not just the holidays—we're given the opportunity to press toward or away from what God is doing in our lives. We can be open to His plans, not just what we want Him to do, or we can fight that He knows best and take the reigns for control. I don't know about you, but if God can make beauty out of a baby born in a manger to a virgin girl who would later die on a cross for our sins, surely He can make beauty out of our lives—including everything that doesn't go as planned.
Perhaps the best things in life aren't the ones we have total control over, but the ones we've fully laid down in surrender to our King, knowing that no matter how things pan out or what they look like compared to our expectations, He knows best. Our job is to trust and obey that plan.
Let's pray:
Dear God,
If things didn't go as planned this holiday season, please help us to look up. Remind us that the best things in life often aren't the ones we think we have control over, but the ones we've surrendered fully to you. As we look to the birth of Jesus, use Mary and Joseph's obedience to equip and encourage us. Thank you for unexpected stories that only you could've written, and the ways in which you will move and have your being in each of our lives. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©Sparrowstock/David Clark
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington, Andrea Bocelli, Reba McEntire, Mark Wahlberg, Tony Dungy, and Matthew McConaughey—what do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their stories of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
Originally published Monday, 30 December 2024.
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