Mary's Journal Entry 18: Risen & Return to the Manger

Previously in this series:
Mary's Journal Entries:
Introduction;  1:The Announcement;  2:Elizabeth Visit;  3:Return Home from Elizabeth;  4:After Telling Joseph;  5:Joseph's Revelation;  6:Planning for a Trip;  7:Traveling to Bethlehem;  8: Arrival In Bethlehem  9: He's Here!!  10: Visitors in the Night   11:Visit to the Temple   12: Running to Egypt  13: Murder of Boys  14: .Return to Nazareth  15: Search for Jesus   16: Jesus Found!  17. He Has Died

The following as if journaled from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus...
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Today, the trembling has stopped.! Today ushers in the beginning of forever!!  Today, the tomb of Jesus is empty!!!  Today, as the sun rose over the horizon, the Son of God conquered death and rose from the dead!!!!

God is the God of the impossible.  He has conquered deaths and won the victory.  My heart rejoices and sings in praise and adoration to my God, my Jehovah, my provider of everything I need!

I get it now.  It has come to a close.  Jesus came to be my child, and in turn made it possible for me to be a child… the Child of God.  Without his sacrifice, his perfect blood, poured out for me just a few short days ago, there would be no hopes of a forever spent with God. 

But now, because of his death and resurrection, it has been made possible for all people who believe, not just the Jews, to become children of the most High God.  Elizabeth was the first to call me blessed for my belief.  Now, from this day forward, everyone who chooses to believe will be called blessed. 

Their faith alone in the death and resurrection of God’s Holy and only Son Jesus for their sins will be enough.  Faith will usher in salvation and there is no greater blessing than that!  To be saved.  To commit your life to Jesus.  To follow Him and His leading each step of the way. 

Following is not easy!  It is not guaranteed ease and bliss!!  There are very difficult times!!!   

I have learned very first hand that believing first means you must say “Yes” to God’s plan.  It means we must trust and believe God can do the impossible.  We must be willing to give up and sacrifice the things nearest and dearest to our hearts to follow His leading. 

It means sometimes we must flee.  It may require walking through great deep valleys before we reach a mountaintop.   It may feel at times as though swords are piercing our hearts.

It will give us blessings we could have never dreamed or imagined otherwise.  It will provide for a us a peace that passes understanding.  It will give us a security and knowledge beyond our ability to comprehend.  It will provide us with a personal, up close view of the very Jesus who lay in a humble manger, who walked the roads and healed, who chose to die… for each of us… individually.  Why? To save us from the wrong we have done, so that He can spend eternity with us. 

As I look back over my writings of years gone by, I wonder what my purpose has been in sharing these moments?  If someone were to encounter these in the future, what would I want them to see?

This story is not about me.  It is so very far from me.  It is all about him… Jesus, the very son of God.  May it always be about him.   

My hope would be that as one looks at the manger, and remembers the day of his birth, that the memory would not stop there.  
 

Do not let your memory stop at the manger or you miss the message and story of hope altogether.

No, the memory of the manger MUST take you to the cross and empty tomb!!!! 

It must take you to that horrific, horrible, graphic, glorious, saving day when Jesus, the very Son of God, gave of Himself.  Not for anything he had done.  But for everything we have done, past, present, and future.  His love, mercy and grace put Him on the cross.  His lov,e mercy, forgiveness, and grace kept him there.

The manger must always take us to the cross and empty tomb!

The manger must remind us that God is our Jehovah... our provider for everything we need.

May we all take the time to ponder and treasure these events.  Not just as nice sotries.  Not just a couple of times a year.  But forever and always.  May we all learn to treasure and ponder and store such memories in our hearts.

Today, in the moment of His resurrection, my manger brought me to this place... the cross and an empty tomb.  My Jehovah has provided for my salvation.

This was not the story I envisioned so many years ago.  It was not the plan I would have made.  But, I have so vividly learned... God's ways are not my ways... His thoughts are my thoughts.  May you also learn the blessing and peace in following his ways and not your own.

Through the birth, death and resurrection of my Son, my child Jesus, He has made a way for me to be a child of God!!!

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For this reason, He came...

Merry Christmas!!