Bethany Godoy, one of our writers, originally published this article on her blog Cross Culture Mama. LifeNet Blog is grateful for her permission to share it with our readers.

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Christmas season is here again and in full swing. The magic of Christmas doesn’t feel so magical now that I am the one having to create it. This time of year feels different now, sort of like I’m looking at a joyful scene through foggy glass. I see it but not in completion… not in the fullness of what it could be or what it truly is.

I can’t help but think of Mary. If there’s one biblical character I’d like to sit down and have a cup of coffee with, it would be her.

I can just imagine trying to raise the son of God, and somehow, he raises you—and in the end, isn’t that what he does for all of us? 

As I think of Mary and how amazing it would have been to be chosen by God and spoken to by the angel Gabriel, I realize something. That was just a moment in this life journey of hers. That one, incredible and life changing encounter was for a moment. She had to choose to believe and continue believing for all the moments that followed.

I imagine her having just pushed out a child with no epidural, on a dirty stable floor holding this bloodied baby and questioning, “Did I really hear right? This cannot be how it was meant to be.” I’ve had three children physically, and the emotions and pain that follows along with all the first-time mom fears are intense. How gracious it was of God to bring a physical confirmation that she had correctly heard from God. He didn’t send her another angel; he sent other humans who had heard from the angels and found their way to Mary, Joseph, and the baby that night. In her weakness, exhaustion and pain God made it clear, “This is my son.”

As most of us know, the wise men didn’t actually end up at the stable that same night with the shepherds. It makes for a beautiful scene, but in reality, they visited him a couple years later, far from that stable. How far, we aren’t sure, but this time they had their special guests come to their home, a year or two after Jesus was born. I know Jesus was the Son of God, but he was also human… toddler years are so hard. In the beginning of the terrible twos, probably pregnant already with another, and wondering yet again, “Did I hear correctly? He’s the Son of God but he keeps telling me no!” Suddenly they heard a knock at the door. The wise men brought gifts, but more than that, another gracious confirmation, and a timely one at that. Immediately after the wisemen left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told them to flee to Egypt. They were about to be refugees, and before they ran for the Son of God’s life, they were given a gift of reassurance.

The story of Jesus’ birth can feel familiar. His gloriously humble beginning can feel common knowledge. We can lose sight of the miracle and lose our wonder as the years roll by. 

The Christmas season is beautiful, but it’s bittersweet for most people who have lived life long enough to feel the sting of loss. Most of our lives have been woven together with pain, trauma, and grief. It’s so easy to forget the words of truth and promise from God and others when we are asking God, “If you are there, where were you when _____ happened, and why didn’t you intervene?” In the midst of the pain, God is gracious to send us reminders that He is with us; He hasn’t left us, and there is still good in store for us. But what if Joseph had chased the shepherds away before they could speak? They would have missed out on the confirmation. What if they had ignored the knock on the door? They would have missed out on the visitors sent by God—possibly to restore their hope.

Today, I want to encourage you, don’t chase away the people God is sending to comfort you. Don’t ignore the knocking on your heart; let the Holy Spirit renew your hope. This world is broken, but the love of Christ isn’t. He could have chosen to stay in heaven… instead he was born in imperfect circumstances to be physically raised by imperfect parents, and He chose to sacrifice himself for us. The birth of Jesus just means the resurrection of Jesus and all of our broken lives was going to come.

After years of loss and heartache, I believe some of my faith is being restored this Christmas season. I hope the light of Jesus shines on the dark areas of your life and guides you back to Him, just like the star led the wisemen to the new born king.

Just like Mary kept choosing to believe and hold on to every promise without seeing the whole picture, I choose to keep living and believing that true joy is there despite the fog we must all live through in this life.

Merry Christmas.

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