I can remember the first time I got sick. I threw up in the garden and my
mother told me to go lie down. I felt queasy all morning, and all next
morning as well. Mother figured it was just pre-marriage jitters and I went
along with her assessment. It wasn't until later that I found out what was
really going on.
One would think that angels would be really subtle, gentle, and kind, but really, he, or she, I'm still not sure, wasn't. In fact, Gabriel was quite blunt about the whole thing.
"Lo, I bring you tidings of great joy and pretty good news. You're going to have a baby whose the Son of God. That okay with you?"
Quite blunt indeed. All I could do for a few moments was stare at him, her, whatever. Then he waved his hand in front of my face. "Hello? Helllllooooo?"
"Huh?" I couldn't summon the nerve to be articulate. An angel had entered my room and was telling me I was going to have a baby. Who was fathered by God. Whoa.
"Let's start with an introduction, hmm?" I'm Gabriel, you can call me Gabe, or Gabby. Your choice." He settled down on the floor and the wings immediately disappeared. "Maybe you should sit down for this."
I sat. "I suppose you know, I'm Mary." He nodded. "The mother of God's Son. Yup." "Um.." He noted the confusion on my face.
"Just to let you know, if you don't want this, it won't happen."
"Eh?" I looked up. "Excuse me?"
"God doesn't rape. If you don't want this task, it can go to someone else." He gave a gentle smile. "But God told me to tell you that He was really hoping you'd do it."
I blinked. This would go away? All I had to do is ask and this task would be taken away. I'd wake up tomorrow and this would all be a dream and a few months I would marry Joseph and...
And God wanted me to do this. I realized that I couldn't think of this as a burden, it was an honor. One I'm not worthy of, but an honor. I can't let my fear get in the way of God's plan.
Besides, how exactly does one refuse the Almighty?
Gabriel stood up. "I'll be back in a while for your answer, 'k?" I grabbed his robe.
"I accept." I gulped.
"Are you sure?" He stared right into my eyes and I had to turn away.
"All women will call me blessed." I felt tears slipping down my cheeks and I wondered how I was going to deal with this.
"That they will, Lady." He turned to go but hesitated. "Don't worry 'bout Joseph. I'll explain things to him." And he was gone as quickly as he had appeared.
I knelt down and prayed to God. I prayed for many things, but mostly I prayed for strength.
*********Some months later***********
Joseph was a nice man and I was happy to be engaged to him. I told him as much in the cherry tree garden and he smiled.
That smile disappeared when I told him I was pregnant. He glanced incredulously at my stomach, at my face, and back at my stomach.
"I just thought you were putting on weight!"
I prayed for patience and for a while we just stood there, me trying not to cry, and him getting angrier and glancing at my stomach.
I broke the silence by asking him for a cherry. I had a craving. He scoffed.
"Why don't you ask the man who got you pregnant?"
Before I could respond, the cherry tree bent down to where I could reach the fruit. I plucked a few cherries and turned around to see Joseph gaping. He looked rather funny, with his mouth wide open. Then the tree straightened up and he fainted.
And I thought I had been shocked.
We met the next day and he told me he'd had a visitor who had explained things to him. I briefly wondered about Gabriel's timing, but brushed the thought aside. Who was I to wonder about divine timing?
My son was born in a stable not long after and I believe it was no accident that kings and shepherds were present at his birth. He was meant to save all, and all were represented when He arrived.
All were represented at his death as well, and once again I find tears slipping down my face and I find myself reminded that this is God's will, hard though it is. Joseph puts his hand on my shoulder and whispers words of comfort.
I find myself reminded that I will see my child again. And this time we won't be together for a few short decades. God has promised me, and that I trust.
Finite
Author's note- Um, okay. I wrote this because I didn't really find it realistic that Mary would just accept the news and be completely ok with it right off the bat. She was young, unmarried, pregnant, and in a society that cheerfully stoned prostitutes. And the father of the baby was God. Beat that. There must have been some point where she went "Say what?" and wondered if she wanted this.
I know the three wise men showed up a little while later, but it worked for this story.
I'm probably hell-bound, but if I'm lucky God has a sense of humor.
Disclaimer- Everything belongs to God and I'm not about to argue.
One would think that angels would be really subtle, gentle, and kind, but really, he, or she, I'm still not sure, wasn't. In fact, Gabriel was quite blunt about the whole thing.
"Lo, I bring you tidings of great joy and pretty good news. You're going to have a baby whose the Son of God. That okay with you?"
Quite blunt indeed. All I could do for a few moments was stare at him, her, whatever. Then he waved his hand in front of my face. "Hello? Helllllooooo?"
"Huh?" I couldn't summon the nerve to be articulate. An angel had entered my room and was telling me I was going to have a baby. Who was fathered by God. Whoa.
"Let's start with an introduction, hmm?" I'm Gabriel, you can call me Gabe, or Gabby. Your choice." He settled down on the floor and the wings immediately disappeared. "Maybe you should sit down for this."
I sat. "I suppose you know, I'm Mary." He nodded. "The mother of God's Son. Yup." "Um.." He noted the confusion on my face.
"Just to let you know, if you don't want this, it won't happen."
"Eh?" I looked up. "Excuse me?"
"God doesn't rape. If you don't want this task, it can go to someone else." He gave a gentle smile. "But God told me to tell you that He was really hoping you'd do it."
I blinked. This would go away? All I had to do is ask and this task would be taken away. I'd wake up tomorrow and this would all be a dream and a few months I would marry Joseph and...
And God wanted me to do this. I realized that I couldn't think of this as a burden, it was an honor. One I'm not worthy of, but an honor. I can't let my fear get in the way of God's plan.
Besides, how exactly does one refuse the Almighty?
Gabriel stood up. "I'll be back in a while for your answer, 'k?" I grabbed his robe.
"I accept." I gulped.
"Are you sure?" He stared right into my eyes and I had to turn away.
"All women will call me blessed." I felt tears slipping down my cheeks and I wondered how I was going to deal with this.
"That they will, Lady." He turned to go but hesitated. "Don't worry 'bout Joseph. I'll explain things to him." And he was gone as quickly as he had appeared.
I knelt down and prayed to God. I prayed for many things, but mostly I prayed for strength.
*********Some months later***********
Joseph was a nice man and I was happy to be engaged to him. I told him as much in the cherry tree garden and he smiled.
That smile disappeared when I told him I was pregnant. He glanced incredulously at my stomach, at my face, and back at my stomach.
"I just thought you were putting on weight!"
I prayed for patience and for a while we just stood there, me trying not to cry, and him getting angrier and glancing at my stomach.
I broke the silence by asking him for a cherry. I had a craving. He scoffed.
"Why don't you ask the man who got you pregnant?"
Before I could respond, the cherry tree bent down to where I could reach the fruit. I plucked a few cherries and turned around to see Joseph gaping. He looked rather funny, with his mouth wide open. Then the tree straightened up and he fainted.
And I thought I had been shocked.
We met the next day and he told me he'd had a visitor who had explained things to him. I briefly wondered about Gabriel's timing, but brushed the thought aside. Who was I to wonder about divine timing?
My son was born in a stable not long after and I believe it was no accident that kings and shepherds were present at his birth. He was meant to save all, and all were represented when He arrived.
All were represented at his death as well, and once again I find tears slipping down my face and I find myself reminded that this is God's will, hard though it is. Joseph puts his hand on my shoulder and whispers words of comfort.
I find myself reminded that I will see my child again. And this time we won't be together for a few short decades. God has promised me, and that I trust.
Finite
Author's note- Um, okay. I wrote this because I didn't really find it realistic that Mary would just accept the news and be completely ok with it right off the bat. She was young, unmarried, pregnant, and in a society that cheerfully stoned prostitutes. And the father of the baby was God. Beat that. There must have been some point where she went "Say what?" and wondered if she wanted this.
I know the three wise men showed up a little while later, but it worked for this story.
I'm probably hell-bound, but if I'm lucky God has a sense of humor.
Disclaimer- Everything belongs to God and I'm not about to argue.