A Womb for God

      I'm home for Christmas, and I never cease to be blessed and encouraged by good conversations with my mother. That woman always has a word of wisdom from God or a nugget of truth for me to take away and chew on. 

     Today, being Christmas, we were talking about the birth of God into our humble little dirty old world. Even more specifically, we were talking about the process of this miracle; of Mary's pregnancy and labor and final delivery of the Savior of our souls. Mary's task was certainly unique, as she was the only person ever asked to carry Christ in human form inside her body, bearing the weight of his skin-enwrapped deity with every step she took. She was stretched, quite literally, and endured terrible pain to fulfill such a task. Amidst the hurt, though, God grew inside her, becoming more and more apparent as her belly daily expanded. There was something great living inside that young sweet girl. It was something smaller than her physically, but bigger than her in every other way imaginable. It was something that affected the way she walked and breathed and ate and looked and all-together lived. It was something that could and would change the world. 

     My wise mom spoke of being a womb for God - of being a place for Christ to live and grow - and I began to feel more closely related to that girl Mary than I ever have before. I saw in a beautifully figurative yet also quite literal way that I, like her, am carrying something inside of me that can change the world. The Savior of mankind lives in my very being, and my prayer is that just as Jesus grew in Mary's belly two thousand years ago, he will grow in my heart, becoming more and more apparent each day. It will stretch me, no doubt, and stretching is painful, but it is necessary in order for there to be room for my King. 

     Emmanuel - God with us and God within us. Carrying Christ inside ourselves is a task each of us has been asked and privileged to do since that first beautiful Christmas. It's not easy. Far from it. But what a joy it is to see the growth of God in our lives, and what a delight it will be to see the day He brings to completion all that He has labored to create within us. I am so grateful for Mary's courage to be the first to trod this dangerous but glorious path, and I press on in her footsteps knowing with gladness: it is Christ in me, my hope of glory. 

Merry Christmas, dear friends. Carry Him well.