- by Suan Lee Campbell - Church Movements Strategy

Would Mary and Joseph be allowed to travel if they were living in a pandemic? I’m sure they would prefer to stay in the comfort of their home, but it was essential to travel to fulfil a bigger purpose than was humanly possible.

Having gone through pregnancy, I can safely vouch for Mary’s character and understand her perspective of that Christmas advent. I know I would have whined all the way to Bethlehem of backache, need for snacks and water, ablution and, ‘It’s hot and dusty. Are we nearly there?’ to my long-suffering husband. Exhausted at the end of the journey, I would have begged anyone at the doorway of an inn to get to a bed. I guess that was why God did not choose a person like me to be Mary.

 What did God choose me for?

Because of what Mary went through on that first Christmas, and undoubtably without any complaints, God has given us the gift of freedom from sin and death, wrapped up in a little infant. And, for anyone who wants it, a remarkable abundant life in Christ that will exceed our imagination.

Every day, we choose what is essential for our mission, either to live for Him or for ourselves. There are no grey areas in our choices, although we would like to think that there are. Like Mary, even if the circumstances seemed out of our control and out of our comfort zone, we still have a choice on whether to react or respond. If I was heavily pregnant and sitting on that bumpy donkey, I’d like to know ‘why’ so there would be meaning and purpose to bear it. In the end, we may not know ‘why’ but only an impression where the right way is and to keep going.

Our spiritual birth journey essentially began with faith, it continues with faith and it will end in faith in a God who knows. The Holy Spirit can prompt us in what will be the essential and non-essential activities in each leg of our mission with Him. But we still have to choose if we want to live for him and decide on our response, attitude and behaviour towards each bump on the road.