Today’s scripture: Psalm 45 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynette Pullen):
“The Eve of Greatness”…It sounds so regal…so exciting. Like the night before a hard earned graduation or much needed vacation. We get so excited imagining all the possibilities. What will we wear? What do we say? Where will we go? We can hardly sleep in anticipation of all the wonderful things we will encounter. However, I submit, to you, the idea that the greatest events on earth are not very regal or exciting in the moments leading up to them. What do I mean? Alright, for example, I vividly remember the nights prior to the birth of my children. I was miserable. I was huge, for starters. The closer I got to delivery, the worse I felt. I practically lived in the bathroom. I couldn’t eat, sleep or walk. I felt like a beached whale.
The labor itself was excruciating, long and sometimes scary. The intensity of the contractions increased hour by hour. Although I knew these were signs that my child was on its way, I still struggled to tolerate the pain. At one point, it was so overwhelming that I was unable to move or talk. I just concentrated on breathing through each contraction. When the pain was at its peak, it took my breath away. I tremored and shook with each wave of contractions. It was more than I had bargained for. But I just kept reminding myself that my body was meant to do this, and my child would be here soon. The birth itself was intense. Doctors and nurses were passing tools, yelling commands and rushing back and forth. I pushed as hard as I could, exhausting myself with each attempt. Just when I began to think I might not be able to get through it, the doctor announced “Congratulations!” My baby had arrived! I held my newborn, as we recovered from the exhausting journey we had gone through together.
I know when we read the story of Christ’s’ birth, we are used to the artistic interpretation of this event. You know, where the animals in the barn are nestled with their young ones as the couple arrives. Mary sits on the donkey, gracefully perched on top with Joseph leading. The night is warm, but not too warm, and the air is peaceful. Angels sing as they begin making the preparation for the arrival of The King. Mary is comfortably placed in a stack of hay and goes through a strenuous, but peaceful, labor. But, what if wasn’t like that? What if the barn animals were loud and the hay poked her already hurting body? What if the donkey ride was uncomfortable and rough? I bet they had to stop every mile so Mary could awkwardly dismount her “noble steed” to relieve herself in the nearby bushes. What if Mary was cranky and upset with Joseph? What if her labor was arduous and lasted all night? I’m sure the barn was smelly, adding to Mary’s already present nausea. I bet it wasn’t nearly as pretty as we imagine it. Does that take away from the fact that Christ’s birth was the turning point of history, as we know it? Absolutely not! I think it adds to it. It is all part of the journey.
I think that anytime we are on the eve of greatness, it can be unpleasant. I’ve heard it said that it is always darkest before dawn. Those long, dark, difficult nights are a necessary passage on the journey of life. It is in these times that we see what we are made of. We see that even in our darkest hour, great things can happen and God is always with us. I learned that I can endure excruciating pain for hours on end in order to escort my child into this world. It was my first act of motherly love, and it forever changed the course of my life in the most wonderful way imaginable. Maybe Mary learned that she, indeed, was strong enough to be mother of the Lord and Savior of the entire world. Because she endured the shame of pregnancy out of wedlock, the sting of rejection and the pain of labor (in a barn no less), she was an escort for Salvation for all of us.
Prayer for the day: God, many of us are on the eve of greatness, but feel like we are in the midst of defeat. Sometimes, because it hurts and we have been suffering for a long time, it seems like our change is far away. We are tired and feel like we can’t go another step. We are on the verge of giving up. Help us to see that our breakthrough is coming. Give us the strength to persevere through the pain, so we can make it to tomorrow, where we look back at this time and understand that it is all part of the journey.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.