While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. – Luke 2:6-7
Mary was not married, yet she found herself expecting a baby. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, felt blindsided and betrayed. He wanted to end the engagement. Mary was nearing her due date when there was a census being held. This meant they had to travel to Bethlehem, as that is where Joseph’s family line came from. Imagine Mary traveling on a donkey with a round belly. When they arrived, they were told there was no room at the inn, no place to lay their heads. They had to make due elsewhere. And this is where Mary had her baby. Not in the comfort and familiarity of her own home.
With all these obstacles, did Mary and Joseph wonder if God had deserted them? If this baby was from God, wouldn’t all their plans work out perfectly? Was God still there? Or did He forget about them? Was He going to let them figure this all out on their own?
Many things in this story appeared to be going “wrong.” There were many unexpected moments and events that occurred. Things were a bit unorthodox and messy. Perhaps some of us would have felt frustrated, or maybe even angry, if we had to face these issues. Yet out of this unusual and messy scenario came a Savior. A small baby named Jesus was born. The Messiah. The Prince of Peace. Emmanuel. God with us. In time, He would save us from our sins. Out of an unusual and messy situation came the perfect Lamb of God.
When I think about all the inconveniences that occurred around the first Christmas, it gives me peace. Why? Because our lives can be very messy too. There are many things in our lives that appear to be wrong or unconventional on the surface. We face many issues, big and small, day after day. There are a lot of things that come our way which we would rather not face, if we had a choice. At times we might get irritated with life. We might wonder if God forgot about us. We might think He deserted us. But just like with the events that occurred over 2,000 years ago, we can rest assured knowing that God is in control. God is working all things out for good. God is still on the throne.
If you are walking in His will and if you are seeking Him with all your heart, you can have peace when life hands you difficulties. God will be by your side, just like He was by Mary and Joseph’s sides. He is there, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Peace can be yours in any situation when you place your life in the Lord’s hands. Christmas is one day out of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. But on the remaining 364 days in the year, we still have Jesus, we can still worship our Savior, and we can still have peace.
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Christians Read 
What a wonderfully eye opening message. I have often wondered if sweet and young Mary was scared. Here she was pregnant and yet a virgin and giving birth in, of all places, a stable. Joseph had a lot of soul searching he must have done to accept this most unusual story of Mary’s. And out of this our Lord was born and took his first earthly breaths. Bridget, you are so right. Everything was wrong..or at least seemingly so. But we know God never left Mary and Joseph’s sides just as He never leaves ours. Thank you for this special Christmas perspective. God bless you, Bridget. And Merry Christmas to you and your husband!
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Lorraine, I am so glad you enjoyed and got some insight out of this message. If we could remember this, I think it would help us to keep a better perspective. We all face things that appear to be “wrong.” But we have to trust God. He knows what He is doing and His ways are better than ours. Thanks for your comment, Lorraine! A very Merry Christmas and blessed 2020 to you as well! ❤️
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Every day with Jesus is a reason to celebrate Christmas,,Easter, and our coming King..
Thanks for a good post reminding us to simply celebrate Jesus.
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So very true! Sometimes life distracts us and we take our eyes off of Jesus. When we keep our focus on Him, it changes everything! Thank you for commenting! God bless! 😊
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Our youth group has been going through the details of His birth and like you wrote, it’s messy. Often we get caught up in the songs and “glamour,” but the reality is she was an unmarried teen. Joseph had to be beside himself. They traveled by donkey. Our Savior was born in the messiest and stinkiest of places. Remembering all this, as you described, it really gives us peace and hope. Another wonderful post!
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You are so right. Glamour was a good way to put it. In our society today Christmas is glamorous. This also plays into everyone’s expectations that everything surrounding Christmas should go perfectly, which only leads to disappointment. When we remember the reality of the situation surrounding the first Christmas, it helps change our perspective. And hopefully it helps keep our focus on Jesus. Thanks so much for commenting! 🌹
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What an encouragement when things don’t go the way we expected them to. Waiting on God is hard, but it brings great rewards.
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Yes! You are exactly right! But He is always faithful, even when we are not. What an amazing, loving Father we have!❤️
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