Not only at Christmas Time: Reflect on the Miracle of Christmas

Teenage girl, much too young.
Unprepared for what’s to come,A baby changes everything.
Not a ring On her hand, All her dreams and all her plans...
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she’s never touched
How will she Keep his trust?
A baby changes everything
And she cries

She has to leave, go far away.
Heaven knows she can’t stay.
A baby changes everything.

She can feel it’s coming soon...
There’s no place, there’s no room.
A baby changes everything
And she cries and she cries

Shepherds all gather round
Up Above, a Star shines down

Choir of Angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king!"
A baby changes everything, every day! Hallelujah!

My whole life is turned around.
I was lost and now I’m found
A baby changes everything

~Faith Hill (A Baby Changes everything)

Hey all. Kylie here.

Think about this...Mary, the virgin girl God chose to bear his only son was probably no older than me. A lot of times we think about Christmas and a beautiful scene from a nativity set. The choir of angels singing, Jesus had a halo above his head etc...but it wasn't like that. The stable probably wasn't a nice little stable outside a Bed and Breakfast. It was most likely a cave that smelled like animals, dirty and crowded. Jesus probably looked like any ordinary baby. But imagine the story before that....

Girls in Bible times were married when they were about my age (that's fourteen!!!) and they would get married to men who were probably twice their age. God saw that Mary was a virtous girl living a wise life and chose her to bear the son of God. So he sent an angel to her to tell her what God had planned. He explained that this baby would be the Saviour of mankind. Mary humbly took the task God had given her. You must remeber at this time, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a very good man, but she was a virgin and God knew that and created the Christ child in her womb.

That you were probably familiar with...but think about this. She was pregnant. Imagine trying to make your husband and friends to believe what God has planned, especially something as serious as being the mother of the promised seed. The punishment for impurity was to be stoned...killed even. Joseph was in much doubt of this and considered breaking off the engagement. He had a reputation to keep up! But an angel came to him in a dream and told him that what Mary had said was true and to not be afraid to take her as his wife. So Joseph, with much faith, he claimed the baby as his own, and was to take Mary as his wife.

What do you think happened during the next couple months of Mary's pregnancy? They were just one big happy family right??? WRONG. Mary and Joseph were probably the most hated people in their village. Those people still thought Mary and Joseph had commited a major sin. Mary and Joseph did not expect them to understand, and with faith went through the next few months.

Then Caesar Augustus decreed that each man should go to his family's home town to be accounted for. So Joseph and Mary(who was extremly pregnant) went on a long trip to Bethlehem. During the long and weary trip Mary started having contractions. They were nearing Bethlehem and finally got there when it was just about time to give birth. Mary was in much pain and Joseph scrambled to find a hotel room. But there was no room anywhere. Joseph was stressed out when an Innkeeper told him that Joseph and Mary were welcome to stay in his stable. A dirty cave where his animals slept. Mary was about to give birth and it is very probable that she had no midwives from the hotel to help her and that Joseph had to help with the birth.
He was probably extremly freaked out.

But the promise of God was fulfilled. The Christ child was born, and wise men from the east brought gifts and followed the beautiful star the God provided for them to see and to guide them. And angels went to shepards and told them of the Christ child, born in Bethlehem and to follow the brightest star in the heavens to find him. And they did.

Christmas isn't just a beautiful story. It's a miracle. That a baby changed everything. That baby was to grow up to be perfect in every way. And he taught about God's ways and his love, and he was killed. He died on a cross for the sins of the world.

Reflect on the Miracle of Christmas, but not just at Christmas time.

Merry Christmas.

~Kylie