Welcome to Day 4 of the Chase family celebration of Advent! Join us as we look at the powerful emotions that Mary experienced during the nine months of her pregnancy as she anticipated the birth of Jesus.
How did Mary feel right after the angel disappeared? What did she see when she opened her eyes and looked around her? Were women from her village walking to the well with jars? Was a neighbor feeding her chickens? Was a shopkeeper unrolling a tarp to shade his wares? Was life going on as usual all around her?
With the strong presence of an angel at her side, Mary may have experienced confidence, but when Gabriel disappeared to return to the throne room of God, perhaps other feelings crowded in. Mary may have felt…nervous.
Every woman feels anxious as she embarks on a pregnancy. Questions flood the mind. Will the baby be healthy? Do I have what it takes to be a mom? There is no turning back. But for some women the anxiety reaches far deeper levels.
Many of the women that I work with on a daily basis at our adoption agency panic at the thought that they are pregnant. If they are single teens, they wonder how they will tell their parents. If a woman is married but not to the birthfather, she anxiously wonders what will happen when her husband finds out he is not the father of her child.
Mary, without an angel standing by her side to hold her up, had to face both her parents and her fiance. Would Mom and Dad believe her story of seeing Gabriel? Would Joseph reject her? Would her neighbors and friends walk away shaking their heads in disbelief?
Have you ever felt nervous, not knowing what the outcome of an event will be? Perhaps your stomach has churned and your mind won’t allow you to rest at night. Remember that Hebrews 4:14-16 says, “Let us cling to [Christ] and never stop trusting him. . . . let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
