Monday, December 22, 2008

"It's The Right Place"

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."(Luke 2:6,7)

I remember when I was expecting my first (and only) child. My thoughts would occasionally wander toward the end of my pregnancy. I would have such thoughts as: What would labor be like? Was it going to hurt really bad? Will I be in labor long? But the foremost question on my mind was… Will I make it to the hospital on time?! We all dream of having a “perfect” delivery…. by that I mean, at the hospital with the doctor delivering the baby; or for some, at home with a midwife.

That has not always been the case for some. I know a lady whose baby was born in her father in law’s truck on the way to the hospital. On television we have seen babies born in taxi cabs, in elevators, in restaurants, etc.

I imagine that Mary had such thoughts about her delivery as well. I am sure she thought she would give birth to the Son of God in a nice, clean, comfortable bed, well attended by those who had delivered other babies … after all, this was no ordinary baby. But as we know, that was not the case.

I have to wonder what was going through her mind when she went into labor in the stable? Surely she thought, “This can’t be happening? This isn’t right! It’s not suppose to be like this! I am having the promised Savior.” While she was thinking those thoughts, God was saying, “No, this is not a mistake; this is My plan. This is just the way, and the place, I intended for it to happen”.

God is like that. We think one way, He thinks another. We think on one level, He thinks on another. We think in temporary terms, He thinks in eternal. We think in the natural, He thinks in the spiritual. We think in the present, He thinks in the future. We think with limited knowledge, He thinks with unlimited knowledge. We think with our own understanding, He thinks with infinite wisdom.

Often, what we think is wrong, He says it’s right, and vice versa. We don’t always know the full plan of God, just like Mary didn’t know. But I am sure that she trusted Him anyway because she knew that if He could supernaturally, miraculously open her womb and place His Son in there, then He certainly could take care of the events surrounding His birth.

This “Glitter Girl” knows that I don’t know everything, so I have to trust the fact that He does… so it will be all right.