Listen to the broadcast program. radio038en.ram (15 minutes)
PROGRAM outline is transcribed below.
Merry Christmas everyone! This is ComfortForToday.com coming to you once again.
Today we have special guest, Marilyn Draper of Georgetown, Ontario. Marilyn is going to give us a glimpse into the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as Mary learns that "Nothing is Impossible with God." Let us listen as Marilyn reflects on how it must have felt to be Mary.
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Those words still ring loudly in my ears, "Mary, nothing is impossible with God." So much time has passed and yet it seems like only yesterday...
I remember being a little girl and my father reading to me story after story from the Good Book. He read to me about how God had created this earth--beautiful and perfect. But evil had come in and people had turned their backs on God. Over and over those stories told me about how God reached out to love his people and draw them back to himself. I knew about how God had given Abraham and Sarah a special baby in their old age. I knew about how God had used Moses to save his people from slavery. Why...I was even named after Moses' older sister Miriam. I knew about our great King David and the time when Israel had been great. And I knew that my people had rejected God. And that now we were under the boot of Rome because of disobedience. But I also knew that one day God would send us a great King to be King forever.
I loved the stories of the women who had chosen to obey God, even when it was hard to do so--Ruth who left her own people, Esther who risked her life, Hannah who so longed for a son and then God gave her one. And I loved the songs of David. When I was discouraged by how little I had, I remembered that David was a shepherd before He became king. His songs would encourage me that maybe God had a plan for my simple life.
And so life continued on in that little town of Nazareth where I lived. The same ladies gossiped. The sons learned the trades of their fathers. Babies were born. The old people died. And still we continued to look forward to God fulfilling his promises of hope and freedom. And as I grew I learned to stitch and cook and run a home. Life was simple and not unpleasant.
Then I remember one day my parents drawing me aside and saying that Joseph, the carpenter, had asked for my hand in marriage. He was a good man, maybe not quite the prince I had imagined, but as my parents were quick to point out, a man with a steady business and a good reputation. A man who loved God and sought to be honest in his dealings in life and business. And to my parents that was far more important than a handsomne face or wealth. They were getting older and wanted to see me well taken care of. So I agreed to marry Joseph and we were engaged. It was fun talking over wedding preparations with my friends. There were wedding clothes to prepare, and food for the guests.
Then suddenly my life changed. (I am sure that you have heard about it). One day a tall man with a shining face suddenly approached me with the strangest of words--he said that I was highly favoured. For a moment I looked around me to see who else was there that he was talking to. But he had news for me! He told me that I was going to have a son and I was to call him "Jesus"--the Lord saves. This Jesus would be great. He would be the Son of the Most High. He would be given David's throne. He would reign forever. His kingdom would never end.
But I was confused. My marriage was not yet scheduled for a few more months, and I wondered "How can I conceive a baby while still a virgin?" The messenger told me that God would put this baby in me. Wow! Even my cousin Elizabeth, in her old age, was going to have a baby. This was like the story of Abraham and Sarah all over again. God had not forgotten his promises. ]
And then the messenger said those words, "For nothing is impossible with God." I knew I had only one choice, to bow my knee and allow God to do his will in my life.
What emotions raced through me in the next few minutes! I am going to have a special baby! God is sending his Messiah through me! Times are going to change! I am going to be the mother of a King! But would anyone believe me? It would look like I had been unfaithful to Joseph. They could stone me! But as quickly as these fears raced through my mind, a peace came over me. For nothing is impossible with God. If He could put a baby in me, then He could certainly protect us.
My parents were a little hesitant when I told them the news that afternoon. My father thought I had been in the sun too long. My mother thought I was too excited about the marriage preparations. But I had never been one to tell stories before. And they knew I would never dream of being unfaithful to Joseph. They talked late into the night. I could hardly sleep. But when I did, my dreams were filled with visions of light and hope. I knew everything would be all right. God was in control and I could trust Him.
The next morning they announced to me that I was going to pay Elizabeth a visit. I went gladly. This would serve to confirm if Elizabeth was indeed pregnant and it would get me out of the way for a time. They weren't going to tell Joseph anything until they had evidence that I was expecting.
Elizabeth was already very rounded and six months' pregnant, and overjoyed to see me. She confirmed to me what I already suspected--a tiny holy embryo had already been planted in my womb! I couldn't help but praise God. For I realized nothing is impossible with Him!
I stayed on with Elizabeth until baby John was born and I heard her husband Zechariah tell the story over and over again of how an angel had appeared to him in the temple. He touched my shoulder and said how glad he was that I had believed God's words. He had doubted God and lived a life of silence for a year. Seeing them and baby John, I rejoiced and remembered the angel's words, "Nothing is impossible with God!"
All too soon it was time that I returned home. Then I confirmed to my parents that it was all true. It was so exciting! But I knew that they were worried. Father had a long talk with Joseph and they called me in. Joseph wanted to hear the story from my own lips. I assured him that I had not been unfaithful to him. I think he believed me. But his face was drawn and sad. He so wanted this marriage, but what would it do to his reputation to marry a pregnant girl? He told my father that he did not want to hurt us, but that he had to break the engagement. Otherwise his business would suffer. He would do it as quietly as possible. My mother burst into tears. Joseph left with one sad long look at my stomach. He wasn't prepared to risk his reputation on a young girls' emotional story.
I went to bed that night and prayed and prayed and prayed. I knew that God wanted Joseph to be the father of my baby. Finally I fell asleep with these words running through my mind--"Nothing is impossible with God."
The next morning Joseph appeared early at our doorstep. The Lord had spoken to him in a dream and he would marry me. He was willing to set aside his reputation in order to obey God. My approval of him grew. He WAS a good man! So we moved our wedding date forward and the festivities were to be a little more subdued than I had originally planned. So there I was--young, soon to be a mother, learning to be a wife and every day feeling the disapproval of the gossips and the whispers of everyone.
And every day as my stomach got bigger, those whispers grew louder. I remember one day feeling so discouraged. I started to cry and Joseph came in. He put his arms around me and said, "Remember Mary, nothing is impossible with God!" And that became our motto for life.
A short time later we heard that a census had to be taken and everyone needed to return to their ancestral home in order to be counted there. Here I was almost to full term--so big, so awkward and so tired. And because both Joseph and I were descendants of David, we were expected to travel that long road south through Jerusalem to Bethlehem. We started out with a whole family group, but it soon became obvious that I couldn't keep up the pace. Day after day we travelled. We stopped at the homes of relatives and sometimes we paid to stay at an inn. Poor Joseph! Every night Joseph grumbled about taxes and how much this was costing us. But then I would remind him that he himself had told me that the prophets had written that the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem. He said that he just wished that God had found a less expensive way of getting us there.
I remember well that last day of travelling. I was SO uncomfortable. All day long I had been having contractions on and off. There was such an ache across the bottom of my abdomen. My back hurt. People kept pushing by us. I was miserable. Bethlehem was full to overflowing. We knocked at the door of a couple of relatives, but unfortunately our story had preceded us. Everyone said they were full, but we knew they really didn't want us and our hint of scandal. If we were there then they couldn't talk about us could they? As my contractions started to be stronger and closer together, Jospeh decided to pay for an inn. But by this time they were all full too. At last an innkeeper heard me cry out as a pain hit me, and showed us to his stable. It wasn't much, but at least it was warm and relatively dry, and at this point I really didn't care.
Well, Jesus was born that night. I'm sure you know the story. Shepherds barged in telling us angels had told them that the Saviour was born. Most of the rest of Bethlehem thought they were drunk but Joseph and I knew the truth. I don't know how many times over the next couple of days he turned to me and said "Mary, it's true. Nothing is impossible with God."
I took care of baby Jesus, amazed by how ordinary he seemed. He needed to be fed, bathed, changed cuddled and rocked. Could this really be God in human flesh? There were days I was just so absorbed by the sameness of it all. And yet, God kept reminding us in little ways that our child was not ordinary at all. Every time I got caught up in the mundane of running our little house in Bethlehem as Joseph did carpentry work, God would send along a word of encouragement--Simeon, Anna in the temple, the wise men from the East with their gifts that paid for our quick escape into Egypt. Every time I became discouraged someone was there to remind me that indeed, "Nothing is impossible with God."
I had thought that life would get easier. After all, the angel had told me that my baby would be a king. So I kept expecting things to change. But life was always a bit of a struggle, and yet God always provided for our needs.
I had a hard time of it when Jesus chose a group of fishermen and vagabonds to be his helpers. And then He seemed determined to alienate the priests and religious leaders, people whom I had always encouraged him to respect. But He had lived in my household for thirty years and I had learned that his brain worked diferently than mine. So I followed his ministry and I believed that God's Word would be fulfilled.
The hardest day of my life was the day they crucified Him as a common criminal. As much as I missed Joseph's comfort that day, I was thankful he was not there to see it. He could not have borne it. We had been through so much--our own reputations questioned by Jesus' birth, our flight into Egypt and the continual poverty. Everyone always asking us why Jesus was doing this or that. The lack of undestanding! We had expected so much and received so little. And then Jesus died on the cross right before my eyes. I went to the home of one of Jesus' friends that night and prayed and questioned and asked God. The only answer I received that whole night was, "Nothing is impossible with God."
Of course, you know how the story turned out. Jesus rose from the dead and spent time teaching us that his kingdom was a heavenly one, not an earthly one, and then he ascended into heaven promising to return to earth one day. And I have no doubt but that one day soon He will return as the forever King the angel promised He would be.
Yes, so much time has passed and I realize that I too have changed. Oh, I am still very ordinary. But I have learned some valuable lessons. One thing that I have learned is that God can use ordinary people like you and me to do amazing things. All He asks is for our faith and obedience. A second lesson is that even when things are turning out very differently from what we expected, God is still in control. It never occurred to me how much greater God's plan of salvation was. I learned to give him my body my mind, myself and allow Him to work his plan even when I didn't understand it. And most importantly, I learned that even when things were tough I could still trust God to lead and provide. I encourage you to never give up hope because, indeed, it is true--"Nothing is impossible with God."
And now let us give praise to this Jesus who lives among us today, this One who was born of Mary. He is our God in whom all things are possible.
BRIEF MUSICAL CLOSING:
"My Jesus I Love You" (Avalon)