All is peaceful here at Makanalani. Even on Kauai, we have a winter or sorts & it seems to calm the animals. Even the wind whispers quietly & the rain falls as a blessing upon us.
As we enjoy our family & friends, we wonder what it must have been like for Mary on this, the eve of the birth of her son. To have been favored by God above all other women, but also to have endured the struggle that those nine months no doubt brought to the young virgin. And to feel that holy life within, knowing that soon, so very soon, the prophecy would be fulfilled. The promise of millennia would rest within her gentle arms.
What was she thinking? Was she fearful? Almost certainly; childbirth is never easy & was especially difficult then, tucked away in a manger, no doctor on call, now warm hospital bed. But she must also have been confronted by the Holy Spirit, who had brought this joy into her life. And the excitement that all mothers feel as their time draws near. To know that a new life would begin that day. And not just any life, but the Light of the World.
Did she worry about the authorities? About food? About shelter. Well, Mary, like us, was only human, so almost certainly, but also like us she had the comfort of knowing The Lord & that he was looking over her & her child.
We like to think of Joseph, patient gentle Joseph, there holding her hand, comforting her, but also anxious to see this Son that would be so more than any mortal child. And those that gathered, uncalled by man, to witness the miraculous birth. Indeed, that gathering is the archetype for all Christmas celebrations to come… a gathering together to celebrate the most holy of births, that of Our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem of the virgin.
We wish for you & yours a celebration as filled with awe & wonder as that that occurred on the first night under that bright bright star.
Merry Christmas!
