by Dona Hake
The birth of both of our sons was such a joyous time for my husband and me. I can remember about two weeks before my due date I was having a weekly checkup and I told my Doctor that I felt I was going to go before my due date. I can still remember him pulling out his date book. He told me he had a fishing trip planned, and he was canceling it. He said, “I never ignore a woman’s intuition, especially one that is pregnant!” Sure enough I went within a few days. When both my sons were born we choose a particular method in the hospital that our Doctor honored. While I was in labor we had worship music playing, and my heart was kept at peace through every stage of labor. In the delivery room I had requested the lights remain very low and the only light used was Doctor’s light for him to deliver our sons.
As peaceful, worship music filled the room, I had also requested that everyone talked softly. Immediately after the birth of each of our sons, our Doctor did anything necessary, and our son was handed directly to me to embrace. After that he was handed to my husband, and placed in a bathtub of water the same temperature as the womb. As my husband held him in the water, he prayed over him and spoke softly. What a beautiful bonding time that was during both births of our sons as he held them for the first time. I can honestly say that childbirth has been one of the most beautiful things that I have ever done in this life. To witness the miracle of life being brought forth with my husband is a a sweet, joyous, and precious memory.
So today I am reflecting on the fact that there was no room for our Savior to lay down His head after He was born. The fact Mary was ready to give birth, and she had no clue where it was going to happen makes me wonder what her thoughts were. I cannot even begin to imagine what this poor young woman had to deal with. Mary and Joseph had no choice of location nor did they have nice accommodations that we so easily take for granted. Let’s look at what Mary had to face in her time of delivering the Son of God. Let us read the story from the book of Luke.
Luke 2:4-6 New Life Version
4 “Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in the country of Galilee to the town of Bethlehem. It was known as the city of David. He went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph went to have his and Mary’s names written in the books of the nation. Mary was his promised wife and soon to become a mother.
6 While they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her baby. 7 Her first son was born. She put cloth around Him and laid Him in a place where cattle are fed. There was no roomfor them in the place where people stay for the night.”
This portion of scripture reminds us that Jesus came to this world and the only place available to lay this newborn King was a manger, the place where animals would feed from. I am very sure that Mary’s environment for the birth of Jesus was not very peaceful nor comfortable either. The other evening as I was driving my Granddaughters home we stopped at a manger scene, and I shared with them what it must have been like for little Baby Jesus. I told them it must have been noisy and stinky, and certainly not an ideal place for a newborn baby. I always love watching their little faces when I share such things with them. These pretty little manger scenes that we see on our Christmas cards certainly mislead us as to what it really was like.
Today I would like you to think about how he still searches for hearts that He may reside in. Many hearts still refuse to make room for Him. Before we were saved, our heart was a place that was cold, full of unrest, and confusion. Yet Jesus was willing to come and take residence in our hearts as we invited him in. I encourage you today, as you encounter people whether it be at work or wherever in the marketplace, to think and pray how you can be used to display the love and light of the presence of Jesus Christ.
Lord, help us to recognize the heart that is full of confusion and has great need of you, for their life is empty. Show us how to shine the light of His love that they would see their need to open their heart and make room for our loving Savior. Amen.