Mary’s Journal
Odds are good Mary did not keep a journal.
Not on parchment, anyway.
In fact, as a girl in her middle teens living in Nazareth in days before we began to mark time in increments of “the year of our Lord,” it’s likely she didn’t even read or write.
But she did soak herself in some of those same practices that many of us who journal do: She pondered. She treasured. She observed and absorbed and processed.
Mary’d traveled quite the winding road since her engagement to Joseph.
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An angel came to her and told of the soon and coming King — coming right out of her womb. She narrowly escaped public humiliation — possibly stoning — when Joseph sought to divorce her without making a scene over her apparent indiscretion. And then she narrowly escaped that divorce when an angel came to him and told him to stay by Mary’s side.
She traveled, pregnant as pregnant can be, to Bethlehem for the census. She watched door after door close in Joseph’s face and saw his shoulders drop farther and farther before she finally delivered her son and Redeemer alongside livestock in a barn. And she received grubby shepherds who hauled in straight from the field, saying a host of angels exploded in the night sky and told them to come and worship at this rough hewn cradle.
Amidst all the wildness of angels and shepherds and packed inns and dirt and blood and animals and mess and noise, Mary sat back and watched. She pondered. And she treasured.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:16-20, emphasis added)
And I believe, if Mary had known how to operate quill and parchment, she would have kept a journal.
My question for you is this: Once the shepherds packed up their dusty gear and tore out through the streets to praise God, what might Mary have written on her page for that day?
Would you share what you imagine Mary may have pondered and treasured in the comment box with us today?
[RSS and email subscribers, the blessing of this post will be in the comment box. Be sure to click through to share in the responses.]
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Day 3 – 12 Days of Community
While you ponder Mary’s journal, stop over to see Jennifer Lee at Getting Down with Jesus. One of my very favorites, Jennifer is a gifted, captivating writer who loves Jesus from her tippy toes and sees through an eye that recognizes God in traces of the day that I would normally miss. Sometimes funny, often tender, and never posing, her writing bleeds grace from raw places in her heart. I like to make sure I’m sitting down when I read Jennifer because while she writes in such a way that anyone can understand, her depth often takes me clean off my feet.
A few of my favorite posts: Crimson, Clinging to the Cross, and The Questions.
Every difficulty from the past nine months – the probing questions of disbelief, the near-divorce, the disownment by my own family, feeling suddenly lost in this dark world with only my faith to cling to, my own doubts – all these things slipped away as I stared into the eyes of my son for the first time tonight. The miracle of new life is beyond anything I imagined.
Poor Joseph is trying so hard. He struggles with doubt too, worse than mine. How can he possibly believe that I remained faithful, yet now carry the child of Another? He wants so badly to believe, but it has cost him dearly as well. What family wants their son to marry the girl who was unfaithful? Yet I can see it in his eyes tonight as he holds his son, this new hope and joy refreshed.
This child…this little baby…he was born to save the world. To save me. I am not just a mother. I am responsible for raising a King.
How? Father…how? The task overwhelms me.
And then…then these grubby shepherds showed up. He was born, we cleaned him up, and had barely settled down to rest when these young rag-tag smelly boys burst into the barn. But they were so excited we couldn’t send them away. It was hard to hear what they were saying because they kept trying to talk over each other. Something about angels appearing in the sky out in the field where their sheep were. The angels told them Jesus had been born and to come see and worship.
Why them? Why should anyone know? What about this picture would cause anyone to believe anything great has happened? I’m seen as an unfaithful wife, bearing my husband an illegitimate child. We are forced to sleep with the smelly animals. We are nobodies from nowhere.
Yet…if this baby is really who God says he is…why not everyone? Where are the leaders, and where is the king?
These young boys have left an image in my mind I will never forget. Such tender hearts, such poor lives. But they get something that no one else has grasped yet. They know this baby is something great. And that seems to be enough for them.
2009/12/13 at 1:12 PM
“That seems to be enough for them.” I like that. A lot.
Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a full response! Elizabeth, you should post this on your blog like we talked about.
And folks, don’t be afraid to do that. If you’d rather write something over at your place and link here, it’s all good. (Not that it has to be full post-length either.) I just like when you all finish my posts up for me. You do a far greater job than I could dream of.
2009/12/13 at 5:01 PM
Lyla, I came here last night and received this sweet present from you — an undeserved grace all wrapped up in words of encouragement. You’ve blessed me greatly.
I came back again today, and hoped I’d have something profound to offer regarding Mary’s journal. (What with those nice words you wrote about me, the pressure was on. -smile-)
But I need to give the Mary journal some more thought ….
For starters, I’m in awe of Elizabeth’s contribution. What a beautiful posting.
Will be back …
And thanks again, Lyla, for your gift.
2009/12/14 at 10:52 AM
I hear the song “Mary Did You Know?” serenading in the background of these posts. I remember my own “ponderings” as I held my little ones for the first time – such miracles. Such awe. How blessed to be given this gift from God. Mary – what DID you know?
2009/12/14 at 1:36 PM
Lyla:
I’m at a definite disadvantage on this one. I don’t journal (not to say that I shouldn’t or couldn’t), and I’m neither a woman or a mother. I’ll leave comments to those who can make a relevant contribution.
I really like your thoughts on Mary, though.
Dad
2009/12/14 at 6:15 PM
Lyla,
Here is a link to a post I wrote almost a year ago on just this….
http://julie-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/12/treasures-to-ponder.html
2009/12/15 at 9:41 AM
Great description of Jennifer. Yes.
2009/12/18 at 7:13 PM