Thoughts During Advent: What to Expect When You’re [Mary] Expecting

Nine months. For some women, the time during pregnancy flies. I wonder how the time felt to Mary. As soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I immediately wanted to tell everyone! I wonder how long Mary waited to share the news that the angel told her. When and how did she tell her parents and those close to her? What did their belief – or unbelief – look like?

And what about Joseph? We know that he struggled with unbelief, because he was planning to quietly divorce Mary, his betrothed (Matthew 1:19). But then an angel appeared to him in a dream and confirmed that Mary was telling the truth – that the baby growing inside her truly was from the Holy Spirit. So Joseph, like Mary, submitted and obeyed. He took Mary as his wife, but he kept her a virgin until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25).

My guess is that Mary’s relative Elizabeth, who was experiencing a very special pregnancy herself, had the best reaction to Mary’s news. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, ‘Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.'” (Luke 1:41-45)

I like to imagine how Mary must have felt when seeing and hearing Elizabeth’s response. I wonder if she broke down in tears – so thankful to have this affirmation, so relieved to witness this BELIEF. And how awesome is it that John leaped for joy in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus?! I imagine that these two special women must have hugged and kissed and cried and completely marveled together – marveled at what God was doing in and through them.

Nine months. That’s a lot of time to think and wonder and plan. Many of us envision how the births of our babies will go. And many of us see those birth plans go very differently when the time actually comes. When I think about Mary and Joseph, I have to imagine that not very much was going according to plan when the labor began. I wonder if Joseph felt an immense amount of stress as he carried the weight of finding a place for them to stay in Bethlehem, and then…

“Here?”

The baby was coming. But this was clearly not just any baby. They needed a place to stay. But…THE BABY WAS COMING!

“Here??“

“And we’re going to lay Him in THAT??”

Okay, so the location and environment weren’t exactly what they had in mind, I imagine. I wonder what they thought the rest of the experience might be like. I wonder if Mary thought she might not have to go through a lot of pain during this Special labor and delivery. I wonder if anyone else was present to help or if Mary and Joseph were the only ones there when the birth occurred. Mary had probably been present for other childbirths, but Joseph?? Likely not. And yes, this was his wife, but this was not his son. And remember – Joseph kept Mary a virgin until after this Child was born. So to be involved in this birthing process must have been an incredibly vulnerable and overwhelming situation for both of them.

At least they didn’t have to think about what to name the Child, since the angel had made that clear to both of them. (Whew.)

Nine months. There is so much that we don’t know about this period of time in the Story, but that doesn’t make it any less miraculous and wonderful. And I think it’s okay to imagine what Mary and Joseph experienced through all of it. After all, they were humans just like us. And maybe they did have some sort of “birth plan.” We don’t know. If they did, though, I feel fairly certain that what actually happened was not going according to the plan. Not according to their plan, anyway.

But isn’t that God’s way? We make our plans, but God’s are often so very different. And so much better. Undoubtedly, Mary and Joseph had become more experienced than most in trusting and obeying God’s leading. “We don’t understand it, but this must be God’s plan,” they must’ve said to each other time and time again, both during and after these nine months.

I am in such awe of this couple’s faith and obedience. I am inspired by it. And I am thankful for it. Quite likely, it was the most incredible nine months of their lives.