I told someone recently that although I continually dream, set goals and plan, the life experiences that have shaped my life for the better are seldom what I would have planned.
This Christmas as our thoughts turn toward the birth of our Savior, I'm struck with the thought of the unexpected and sudden change of plans God had in store for the young engaged couple, Mary and Joseph.
It's likely that even as small children they were pledged to each other by their parents. As in some cultures today, parents pre-arranged their children's marriages. Assuming that was the case, they may have picked a wedding date and quite possibly were planning not only their wedding, but their future life together. Perhaps Joseph dreamed of owning his own carpentry shop. And Mary? She must have dreamed of being wife to Joseph and mother of his children.
Then their "suddenly" happened.
The very last thing young Mary would have ever considered was that she would conceive a child before marriage. Well, not exactly. The very last thing she would have considered was that she would miraculously conceive of the Holy Spirit, become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God, the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, the Messiah! No wonder she asked, "But how? I've never slept with a man" (Luke 1:34, MSG,).
And imagine Joseph's perplexity. His dreams of owning his own carpentry shop was suddenly interrupted by the idea that Mary was pregnant. How could any man believe that his fiancé had been entirely faithful as she claimed? How could he possibly believe that she carried the Son of God in her womb? Should he cancel the engagement? What about the shame they'd both experience?
Of course Mary did give birth to the Christ-child-her Savior; they did set up housekeeping; and Joseph did launch that carpentry business after all.
But their experience is one of the best examples I've seen of how good people experience God's suddenlies. Todd and I have certainly experienced ours. We never planned to lose two babies in the womb. We never set a goal to be financially challenged every month. We would never have dreamed of our son being diagnosed with Leukemia. Or many of the other suddenlies we've encountered together.
What can we learn from Joseph and Mary's suddenly?
1. God told them they were to have a child. He didn't ask them.
Very few of us are doing today what we dreamed of doing when we were children. There are exceptions. But most of us have moved into areas of life and employment that "unfolded" before us, rather than things we actually "set our sights" on doing. Interestingly, most of us wouldn't want to do today what we dreamed of doing as children. My desires changed as life has changed me.
Then of course, there is God. God created me for a purpose. He didn't inquire as to what I had in mind. He didn't poll me for my preferences. I could either ignore His purpose or choose not to embrace it, but I couldn't change His purpose for me.
2. The suddenly God planned for Joseph and Mary was not an easy thing for them.
Don't think that because it's God's way it's the easy way. Easy things don't develop or strengthen us. Too many people look for "the easy plan" rather than "the God-plan" for their lives. Contrary to the Country Western song, some folks apparently assume that when God saved them he promised them a rose garden. If that were true, there would be no martyrs. Joseph and Mary had no rose garden. Jesus alluded to this distinction when he talked about eternity. He referred to the broad way that leads to eternal death (hell) as a comfortable or convenient way. He implied that the narrow way that leads to eternal life (heaven) was the difficult way. Consider this:
* In God's sovereign timing, Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem to pay taxes with Mary in her final trimester! What!? God was their travel agent, for goodness sake. Surely He could have timed the trip earlier, or even after the baby was born. The tax dates were set. But the date of Mary's delivery was God's idea! It wasn't an easy trip for those two young people.
* Need I mention that their divine travel agent overlooked their hotel accommodations? Hello! Here they are, righteously traveling to pay their taxes. God was certainly not making this easy for them to obey the law.
* What about their unexpected trip to Egypt to avoid King Herod's attempt to kill their baby! First, Joseph would have to put his carpenter business on hold. And Egypt? There was nothing easy about that trip.
The next time you are tempted to take the easy way, remember: Jesus chose the road to his crucifixion. Paul chose the road to his imprisonment and execution. Both were choosing God's plan for their lives.
3. Difficult or easy, God's way is best.
They were privileged to see Christ, our Savior grow from infancy to maturity. Amazing, huh? "When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him" (Luke 2:40, MSG,).
"He said, 'Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?' But they had no idea what he was talking about. So he went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them. His mother held these things dearly, deep within herself. And Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people" (Luke 2:49-52, MSG, italics added).
Not only did they watch him grow, but God chose to let that remain their secret. There is little known about his childhood. Those memories were his parent's to treasure!
I treasure the memories I have of my children, I’m glad I’m their Mother. Mary was blessed to see or know that her son healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, walked on water, and fed the five thousand. She watched him die, rise from the dead and ascend into heaven! No wonder, when the angel announced his birth to her, he told her she would be "most blessed!" Not only so, but her unexpected son one day became her personal Savior.
It's not those things that happen to us that make us who we are. It's how we respond to what happens to us that shapes our lives. Life's down-times will either make us bitter or better. The choice is ours. I love the story of H.G. Spafford, who sent his wife and daughters to Europe where he planned to meet them later. However, the ship they were on sank when it was hit mid ship by an English ship. His wife sent him the awful two-word telegram, "Saved alone." Each of his daughters had drowned.
On a later crossing of the Atlantic the ship's captain called him to the bridge. "Mr. Spafford, I thought you'd like to know that we're now passing over the site where your wife's ship went down and your daughters were lost.
Mr. Spafford returned to his stateroom where he wrote a song that almost every Christian knows and is one of my personal favorites:
"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrow like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot thou has taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'"
Mr. Spafford never planned to lose his children. God didn't consult him about the matter. It was one of life's suddenlies that enabled Mr. and Mrs. Spafford to bless and build the faith of millions of people since.
As we say goodbye to 2009, let’s enter 2010 with a commitment to find God's plan and purpose for our lives, even if it's not the easy plan. Let's agree to settle for nothing less than His perfect will, no matter what the cost, and no matter how difficult our suddenlies. God is always faithful!
It is well with my soul,
Erin
