There have been times that I have wondered if what I do matters. Especially in this mom gig. There are times that, if I’m being honest, I have been embarrassed that motherhood has humbled me as much as it has. Before having kids, I had a very successful job, one that I worked incredibly hard at and, truth be told, made me feel important because of the accolades behind my name. I felt like someone with worth and importance. But then I had kids and became a stay at home mom. Suddenly I was thrust into a life of spit up, yoga pants, and diapers. And while I believe that my obedience to stay home with my children was important and a blessing, I felt like everything I did was monotonous and beneath who I used to be. Have you ever felt that way too? Motherhood had brought me to my knees (it still does). And now I am just an everyday mama. Am I worthy of Jesus just as I am? I am so ordinary.
One of the things that I love the most about the Christmas story is where it took place. 2000 years ago, the Jewish people were anxiously awaiting the Messiah to come in greatness; someone who would be born in a palace and become a great ruler in a high government position. But God had other plans.
Bethlehem. Ordinary Bethlehem.
And when this baby was born, there were no royal decrees, no grand celebrations held in his honor. No, He was born in a stable on a silent night. In a cold, dirty house for animals. He was born in a place that was below the most lowly. And when he was born she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.
In Bethlehem.
And what happened next shows the beauty of our God’s heart. He made sure that two groups of people were told about the babe. First there was the wise men – they were the most intelligent, well-educated men of their time. They were gentile astrologists, which back then was a high form of science. They were important. And God revealed the good news to them by way of the star and in obedience with their precious gifts in hand, it led them there.
To Bethlehem.
And the second group. The second group was the shepherds. Now you have to understand, these Jewish shepherds were the lowliest of the low. When the angel came to tell them the good news that night, they were still awake, watching their sheep out in the fields. They were probably dirty, most likely smelled bad, and they were doing the job that no one else wanted. And yet…. God revealed the good news to THEM, too. The angel told them to go and worship their king, and in obedience they went just as they were. Ordinary.
To Bethlehem.
Sometimes as a mom I feel like the shepherds. I do a lot of jobs that no one else wants to do. My life isn’t glamorous, and there are certainly days that I smell like a barn (full of kids). The things that I do are not important by the standards of the world. I do not always feel worthy. I am just an everyday mama. Do I have anything to offer the King just as I am? Ordinary?
And yet.
And yet the Christmas story is for me. Just like it us for you, too, mama friend. The hope of the good news beckons us to Bethlehem. It causes us to journey to the stable and fall on our knees in front of the tiny manger. And it leaves us with the knowledge that God sent Jesus for everyone. From the humble shepherds to the great wise men. From the everyday mama to the CEO in high heels. Salvation is here and the good news is for all! JUST. AS. WE. ARE. Because He makes us worthy of it! For even the most ordinary of us all.
And I bet that if you were to have traveled to Bethlehem on that night so many years ago, not only would you find the wise men and the shepherds with the best that they had to offer, but you would have found another ordinary woman, who was willing to become the everyday mama that God called her to be. And that was enough to offer the King, just as she was.
Find yourself in Ordinary Bethlehem this Christmas, everyday mama. And remember that no matter who you are, no matter what you do, The Christmas story is for you. Come just as ordinary as you are.
Camille says
Love this! Beautifully expressed! I was also a “high flyer” before staying at home, and there are days that I worry about my future. You so aptly talked about the bittersweet beauty that arises out of obedience, and surely our faithful Father will not let us fall! I love this!! ❤️