is for Mary.  

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” -Luke 1:46-50

Activity: Getting Close. Gather a bath towel, a hand towel, and a wash cloth. Beginning with the bath towel, see if your family can all fit on the towel without touching the floor or any other furniture. Then try the same with the other smaller cloths.

Mary is a fascinating character of scripture. She is, of course, the mother of Jesus. But what is mostly made known about her is that she was very, very ordinary. Mary was a young girl, from a small town, who was engaged to an ordinary man.

What makes Mary special is that God chose to live in her, as a baby, for 9 months. Of course after that she had a front row seat to watch Jesus, the all powerful God, grow up, to learn His first words and take His first steps. Mary is special because God chose to be so close to her.

Sometimes we think that we are too ordinary for God to want to be close to us. Maybe we feel like ordinary people from small towns. Maybe we see that there are people around us who are smarter, better looking, faster, or nicer than we are. What would God want with such an insignificant person like me?

Boy do I have good news for you! Just like Mary, God chooses to live in you too! Not because of how much of the Bible you have memorized. Not because of how often you hold the door for others, or because you are so helpful in the kitchen. God chooses to live in you because He loves you!

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you (1 Cor 6:19).” A temple is a place for God to live, and He has chosen to live with you. Through baptism He has called you His own and come to live with you.

When we read about Mary we think about how cool it is that God chose her. But as we read the Bible we see that, unbelievably, God choses you and me too.

PRAYER: Dear God. At Christmas we remember that you came to live with your people. Help us to also remember that you chose to live with us always. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN