I imagine her hand falling gently down and over that round belly, so full of life. All of the waiting, the unknown, the hope of a promise she could cling to…that the world would cling to…growing day by day and tucked away inside her womb.

No plans for a place to lay His head, no assurance of shelter or protection, no doctor, nurse or midwife to assist delivery. But instead, the daily remembrance of God’s Word and her steadfast obedience to serving the One God who would serve His Kingdom through her.

Nine months of the greatest expectation the world has ever known, and our own salvation, delivered into the hands of a young (and perhaps terrified) new mother in the form of a helpless babe. If only we could sit for a while in that sacred space in the stable, while the rest of Bethlehem was sleeping and she rocked our Savior King.

The hush of a new mother’s voice as she cradles her child. The quiet soothing all night long in the stable bed. All of the moments we cannot see and do not count significant in earthly terms, but that matter so much to God.

No doubt sweet Mary experienced waiting in the deepest sense as she carried out her days expecting baby Jesus.

No doubt she cried out to her heavenly Father when fear crept in, when loneliness met her in dark places.

No doubt God saw her and treasured her and blessed her obedience to His call on her life.

In her anticipation of the Son of Man, Mary gives us the ultimate example. Filled with the Spirit and lovingly pursuing God at all costs, she trusts Him even when she doesn’t understand. Even when she cannot see. She awaits the coming of God’s promise to His people on earth as Hope draws nearer, filling up with more of Him in order that we, too, might experience the fullness of Christ.

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There is so much hope waiting for us in the story of Christmas. Christ came by means of a young, unassuming girl,who felt entirely unequipped for the task at hand. But she trusted. She said yes. She bore emotional and physical suffering and still loved and ran after God. Can you imagine if she had turned away out of fear? Christ’s story would not be the same, and neither would ours.

Thankful today for the yeses in our lives that draw us closer to Christ, even when they’re hard and we cannot see. They matter so much to God.

molly madonna