Thursday 12th December

Well yesterday was just one of those days.   I woke with a sore head.  I then banged my head on the car door and nearly knocked myself senseless .  I was out of petrol so had to stop to fill up on the way which made me fractionally late for work and then when I got there the only parking space within reach of the building I was going to was minimal.  I decided to try it.  I wasnt concentrating and ended up scraping the car in front.   I had to find another space then lug all my stuff to the place I was doing my Jo Jingles class which involved two trips to and from the car.  I started the class late ( thankfully they didnt mind a bit)

Then I was shopping trying ( unsuccessfully ) to find the last of the christmas presents when my phone rang and it was the piano tuner who was standing outside my door wondering where I was!!  I had completely forgotten he was coming.    And the day ended with a massive row with one of my kids.   Bleaarrrgh !   I was particularly glad to get to bed last night!!

We've all had bad days.  I dont really mind having the odd bad day - I mean in the greater scheme of things my day was annoying but not much more than that.  For some reason, when pondering what to write in the blog today I started thinking about Mary and her bad day.  Or bad week.  Month even.

Imagine being nine months pregnant and having to walk for a week ( the Bible never actually says she went

by donkey - but even if she did it was hardly likely to be a comfortable journey)   Having to walk through Samaria - an area where the people were pretty hostile to the Jews.    Having to camp out under the stars at night or possibly lodge with strangers.  Only to arrive and find that there was no decent accommodation.  To end up most probably in the house of some kind but poor peasant where the inhabitants lived on a platform floor above the livestock.   Imagine giving birth with no pain relief,. no medical care , and none of the things you had prepared for the arrival of the baby actually with you.  80 miles from the comfort of home and knowing that you now had to trek all the way back again with your newborn.  

Imagine the fear of being in an occupied country where the authorities were taking note of who you were and where you lived. On top of the fear of what everyone was saying and thinking about you - pregnant out of wedlock, mother to an ' illegitimate' baby.  And the dreadful responsibility of

knowing that the child you were carrying and delivering was God's child.  Who can possibly imagine how that felt??

Compared with my bad day...... well..... you just have to feel terribly sorry for Mary dont you?

So how would you respond if, a week or so before you were due to give birth - God's plan, and you had been obedient to it all the way, at not insignificant personal cost, - all of that happened?   Would you wonder where God was and what He was playing at?   Would you question His care of you?  His commitment to the plan He had revealed?  Would you do a bit of moaning and complaining during the week of walking?   Im pretty sure I would!!  Im sure that during the journey Mary

and Joseph were both praying hard for somewhere decent to stay when they got there.  Somewhere comfortable in case the baby came.   Did God answer those prayers?   Yes He did.  He said no.
Im sure when Jesus was born Mary prayed that he would be safe and blessed  - so how did she feel when she heard that Herod was out to kill him and that she had to flee to Egypt?   Let's face it Mary had a pretty rough time of it.   And yet we dont see her moaning and complaining .  In fact the only thing we are told is that she quietly ponders all that is going on.  I cant imagine any of it really made much sense to her.  But she holds on and waits and presumably trusts God.  Maybe she struggled with trusting Him.   One could hardly blame her if that were the case.

Why doesnt God make it easy?  Why cant He just take away all the bumps in the road and give us an easy ride?   Sometimes with the benefit of hindsight we can see why.  Sometimes we cant.  Sometimes none of it makes much sense and it feels as though God has deserted us.   If thats where you are today then just hang on.   There IS a plan and it does make sense.  You will be able to  look back and see it one day.  For now just keep on keeping on.

Lord Jesus,  thank you for the example of Mary - an extraordinary woman of whom so much was demanded.  Help us to hold on through difficult days and bring us out of them with our faith intact and strengthened.  Increase our faith and help us to do what you ask of us regardless of the opposition.   Amen