Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Christmas Day in heaven, as I imagine, December 25, 2024.

 

As she slept, Mary kept hearing the words of a Christmas carol they’d sung in the Throne Room the night before, Christmas Eve.


“Mary, did you know…”


She awoke and found tears streaming down her face. “No,” she thought to herself, “I didn’t know, but now I know and, wait, it’s Christmas! I have to go find him and thank him!”


Mary slipped from her bed, leaving a slumbering Joseph curled up under the soft quilt. She quickly dressed and tip toed out of their bedroom. When she reached the front door she carefully opened it, stepped outside and pulled it shut as silently as possible. Then she turned to run toward the Throne Room, and ran right into Yeshua.


Jeshua caught her up in his arms and spun her around. “Ima, it’s Christmas!”


Mary laughed and nestled her head under his chin. “I know, I know!”


“Where are you going in such a hurry, Ima?”


“I had to find you, I had to thank you.”


Yeshua pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Ima, that’s why I’m here at your door this morning. Because it’s Christmas and I had to thank you.”


“For what?” they both blurted out at the same time.


Laughing, they embraced again, and again Yeshua lifted Mary off her feet and swung her around.


“Come,” Yeshua tucked his mother’s arm inside his own and led her toward the Throne Room, which he had arranged to be very near the beautiful cottage he had prepared for her and his step-father, Joseph.


He grinned. “Ladies first. Now tell me what woke you up so early that you had to run into me and practically knock me off my feet to tell me.”


Mary shook her head at his silliness and punched his arm playfully. Then she looked up to his face.
“Seriously, I dreamed all night about the words of the Christmas carols we sang last night around the Throne, and woke up weeping over all you did for me.”


Mary wiped away a tear and continued. “Of all the young girls in Nazareth, you chose me. Before you sent Holy Spirit to abide in your people I heard his whispers. When Gabriel came and scared me to death, I somehow knew that he was from Yahweh, delivering a message from Yahweh himself. When he said that nothing is impossible with God, Holy Spirit confirmed in my heart that it was safe to say yes to God. And with each challenge Joseph and I encountered on that painful trip to Bethlehem in the last days of my pregnancy, Holy Spirit whispered again and again. No rooms to let for the night, but God provided a stable. No mother or mid-wife to assist me to deliver my firstborn child, but Joseph was there, believing right alongside me that what the angel had told me, and him, was true. Then the shepherds came - somehow they knew you were here and had to see you. The magi came and brought treasures and proclaimed you a king! Those treasures financed our flight to Egypt to preserve your life when Herod tried to have you murdered along with all the young babies. And I knew each time, Holy Spirit whispered with each trial, “this is the right path, Yahweh will provide. Do not be afraid.”


“I treasured everything, every encounter, every trial, every provision in my heart, and I still do. I am so blessed, so wealthy with all these treasures filling up my heart. So, I had to run to you this morning, my son, to thank you.”


“Oh, Ima”. Yeshua pulled Mary into his arms and rocked her gently, as she had once rocked him so many years ago.


“Now it’s my turn.” Yeshua looked into his mother’s eyes and gently laid rough, nail scarred hands on her cheeks.


“Ima,” Tears sprung up in his eyes. “Thank you for bearing the shame of what appeared to everyone as an illegitimate pregnancy. Yes, I know how you suffered silently, knowing that you were still a virgin, but somehow with child, while the townspeople whispered and many shunned you for a sin you never committed.”


“Ah, yes, but you gave me two who believed my story. My Joseph – you sent the angel to tell him the truth about me, and he never left my side after that. Oh how I leaned on his strength as we traveled to Bethlehem those many miles. He never wavered as he stooped down to be a mid-wife for me. He was the first to hold you in his arms, tears streaming down his face, and call you by your name, Yeshua, for the very first time.”


“And you gave me my aunt, Elizabeth. Oh what an encouragement she was to me just as my pregnancy was becoming too evident to disguise. How good of your servant, Gabriel to tell me that my elderly aunt, Elizabeth, the one who was called barren, that she had somehow conceived a child and that she was already in her sixth month. I ran to Elizabeth, knowing that she could well understand what I was feeling; she lived with the shame of barrenness so many years, and I bore the shame of harlot.”


“But I wasn’t prepared for the greeting I received when I stepped through the doorway into Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home. As soon as I greeted my aunt, her eyes lit up and she clutched the sides of her large abdomen. I thought she was going into labor, as did Zechariah and we ran to her. But she began to weep and praise Yahweh. I remember vividly the words she spoke over me that day as the Holy Spirit filled her up. I later shared this encounter with Luke, who included my story in his gospel.”


Mary began to recite the scriptures Luke penned in Luke 1:42-45, and Yeshua, still gazing into her eyes softly recited the verses with her, to her:


Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:42-45


Yes, Ima, blessed are you who believed every word Yahweh spoke, believed when you could not see. Thank you for preparing the way before me, for believing in me before you conceived me. Truly blessed is she who believed without seeing that the Lord would fulfill all that he promised.”


Mary rested her head on her son’s shoulder. “Fulfill is surely a pregnant word, my son. Not only was the promise fulfilled, but I am fulfilled, completely satisfied and filled up with all that Yahweh has done for me.”


Wait, Ima. I’m not done thanking you yet.” Yeshua stepped up onto his Throne, and took his mother onto his lap, cradling her under his chin.”


Mary sighed, then laughed. “Full circle!” she cried. “The one who held you is now held by you.”


Yeshua continued. “Ima, thank you for enduring that trek to Bethlehem. I know it was hard, bouncing along on the donkey. Abba Joseph tried so diligently to look after you, but he could not begin to feel the pain you were experiencing with every jolt of the bumpy path.”


And the utter weariness you felt, as your labor began, and every inn turned you and Joseph away. There was no shelter in sight.”


Then after enduring so much, you learned that you would give birth in a stable!”


Ah, but Joseph was my comfort, constantly reminding me and himself that this was an assignment from Yahweh, and that he would enable both of us to complete it. He helped me lie down on some fresh hay along the wall of the stable so I could push back on it as the labor pains increased. Then he emptied the manger and refilled it with fresh, sweet smelling hay and lay the swaddling clothes on top. I cried as I watched him prepare for you.”


And then with one final push, you were born, and I heard your voice for the first time, crying out. Joseph cleaned you up with some water near the stall and swaddled you tightly to comfort you. Then he laid you in my arms and I gazed into the eyes of my Lord and Savior and every pain, every discomfort, every fear, every derogatory word spoke over me fell to the ground. It was worth it! You were worth it! You were so worth it!” Mary’s body shook with sobs as she leaned against her son.


But the trials were far from over.” Yeshua softly whispered. “Do you remember the words that old Simeon spoke over you?”


Mary nodded, remembering the wonderful and awful words the old prophet had uttered.


Yeshua recited the words penned by Luke:


Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:25-35


Yes, Ima, you may not have understood what Simeon meant at the time, about a sword piercing your soul, but as you stood beneath me at the cross, witnessing a mother’s worst nightmare, watching her son die, you surely knew then.”


Once again Ima’s body heaved with sobbing as Yeshua’s arms tightened around her. Once her sobs subsided, Yeshua spoke again.


Ima, I knew you were there, witnessing what no mother should ever have to see. But I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you stayed until I breathed my last. It was as if you who had birthed me into this world, were now birthing me into the next world.”


And yet,” Ima reminded him. “Even as you shuddered in pain, you thought of me, instructing your dearest friend, John to take me as his own mother.”


Yes, Ima. But I want you to know that I heard your every sob, felt every shudder that rippled through your body as you stood with me. Your tears like liquid prayers came right into the Throne Room and, much like Joseph’s words of encouragement as he coached you through my first birth, helped me to transition out of this world upon my death.”


Mother and Son quietly held each other and wept. As they opened their eyes, they found that the saints had silently gathered around the Throne and were worshiping the Lamb who was slain for them, and marveling over the blessed one, she who had believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!


Mary slipped from her son’s lap onto the floor and joined the ones on their knees surrounding the Throne. Then together they rose and cried out as one, “Merry Christmas, Jesus!”






Sunday, December 15, 2024

Twirling in Prayer and Life

 

    Matthew 6:9 TPT “May the Glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.”


As I was praying this scripture over the ones on my prayer list this morning, I thought of my friend, Natalie, a ballerina and prophetic dancer. Natalie is able to spin in place on her toes. She and other dancers, gymnasts, and skaters are able to spin without becoming overcome by dizziness using a technique called spotting. They focus on a specific point as they spin, which helps them to stabilize their vision and reduce dizziness.


Matthew 6:9, is part of what is known as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Jesus’ disciples saw him pray and then do impossible things, so they asked him “Master, teach us to pray”.


“Here’s how it works”, he taught them. “Make the Glory of my name the center on which your lives turn, your point of focus that you always return to, no matter what dizzying events come into your sight as you spin through life. If you are focused on my Glory- and remember that I manifested my Glory as my Goodness at Moses’ request – so if you are focused on my Goodness, you will not lose your balance.”


“Life is going to continue to spin. That’s a given, just as I told you the truth that ‘in this world you will have tribulation’, but I quickly followed that up with this promise, ‘but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world’”. John 16:33.


So sit back and watch Natalie as she spins seemingly effortlessly in her dance of life and remember to center yourself like she does. Focus on that unchanging point of God’s Goodness.


And watch what happens as you learn to “spot”. “The resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.” Ephesians 5:17