“. . . . it was just as the angel had told them.”
Luke 2:20
Do you ever wonder why most of us use calendars? Or planners? Or set goals, etc? Most of us like to plan. We like to plan out our days, weeks, months and even years. We plan vacations. We meal plan. Financial plan. Even participate in exercise plans. We have retirement plans and emergency plans. You would think that with all this planning we would be settled and satisfied. Instead we then have a 5 year plan and a 10 year plan.
One of my husbands favorite sayings is “a failure to plan is a plan to fail”. Isn’t that exactly what we’re all ultimately trying to do though? Avoid an emergency? An interruption? Something that is unplanned? A mistake or a failure?
We’ve been following the story of Jesus in the book of Luke in the bible. In our first blog we heard about Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel when he tells her she is going to conceive a child. Mary questions how this can be and then declares that she is God’s servant and “may your word to me be fulfilled.” Pregnancy was no doubt, not on her wedding day checklist, and yet Mary willingly submitted to the Lord and to his word.
After this, Mary goes to see her cousin Elizabeth and upon hearing Mary’s voice, the baby in Elizabeth’s belly leapt. Elizabeth blesses Mary and Mary in turn, glorifies God and the miracle of Jesus growing inside of her. Instead of being overcome with fear and uncertainty, she chooses to trust God and his faithfulness.
And now, as Mary and Joseph are in the town of Bethlehem to register for the census, she goes into labor. With so many travelers in town, there is nowhere for Mary and Joseph to stay. Every hotel, motel and Inn are already booked. Their only option for shelter is to sleep in a stable where the animals are kept. In true Mary fashion, instead of complaining and being upset, she lovingly and tenderly wraps her baby in strips of cloth and lays him in a manager.
Pregnancy before marriage and giving birth surrounded by animals were not part of Mary’s plan, but Jesus was always God’s plan.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”
John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word and the Word (Jesus) gave life to everything that was created and his life brought light to everyone. The same words that spoke the earth into existence are the same words God used to tell Mary she would conceive. The same words Mary believed would be fulfilled. The same word that God spoke to the Shepherds that night so that they too could see the fulfillment of his word and tell others about him.
God’s plan is Jesus, who was and is and is to come. His word is alive and he still uses his word to speak to you and I. Surrender to trusting God's word and his faithfulness and his plan.
“I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel”
Psalm 32:8
Mary Swafford is the founder of Shaken & Stirred, Meals that Matter, Coffee Talk, and a Co-Owner of Boulder Coffee in downtown Sand Springs. She is a wife, a mother of 3 beautiful children, but most importantly a daughter of the most high God. You are likely to find her chugging or serving coffee, sitting in a tattooist’s chair, or making friends out of strangers.
Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash