Liz couldn't believe that Mary had called her all of a sudden. She thought that she had been forgotten by that family. But Liz patted her pregnant stomach that was full of divine miracle. Just then she heard a knock outside of her door. There stood Mary. Her heart-shaped face and curly black hair remained the same, but her eyes were full of the Spirit and her expression was full of fear.
The baby leaped inside of her at the sight of Jesus' mother. Then Liz knew. Mary didn't have to say a word. She was pregnant, and the baby she carried would pay the ransom of many. He was the one who would set things right, the one the prophets talked about who would save the world from their sins.
"Mary. You are the most blessed of women, and your child will be most blessed!" At that Mary started crying.
"You know?" she whispered. Liz nodded.
"I know," she said. "God has told me just by seeing you. And little John knows, too," she said, pointing at her belly. Mary smiled and put her hand on Liz's stomach to feel John kick. But he didn't kick. He leaped instead.
"Mary, little Jesus will be the Messiah. You know that 'Jesus' comes from 'Joshua,' which means, 'He who saves'?" Mary shook her head. Liz continued. "I can't believe you're here. You are the mommy of my Lord. This is such a blessing. And don't you give me that confused look, because John started leaping for joy when you came in! Believe this, Mary, that God will do what He has promised you. Do you believe now?"
"I believe," Mary said crying. "The Lord is great, so great. People are going to call me blessed because of this baby I have inside of me. I didn't believe it at first, that God would use a pregnant teenager. But He provides. And I'm ready, now that God is with us. Immanuel."
***********************************************************************************
Before she spoke with Liz, Mary may have feared this moment. Her parents had invited Joe over for pizza and a movie (they were going to watch Finding Nemo), and it was time to tell them that she was pregnant. But she felt the tiny bump in her stomach, and knew that God was with her.
Her father looked up from his Coke and smiled. "Mary, you seem quiet. What's up with you?"
Mary sighed. Her mother looked at her with concern.
"Did....Cousin Liz tell you she was pregnant?" Her parents nodded.
"She told us yesterday! Such a miracle from Yahweh, such a miracle indeed. And Zech says he's supposed to be a prophet of some sort...I wouldn't believe that if Liz wouldn't be a 55-year old pregnant woman. God is the mastermind behind this." Her father looked intense.
"Know that God is the mastermind behind this, too. Mom, Dad, Joe...an angel came to me named Gabriel a few weeks ago. I know that this sounds crazy, but I'm pregnant. And I haven't had sex...I'm still a virgin. Please, please believe me. My son, Jesus, will be the one that sets us free."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Joe stood up and walked away.
***********************************************************************************
"And it's you and me,
And all of the people-"
Joe hit "ignore" on his phone for the fifth time that night. Mary had kept trying to call him all night. He did not want to talk to that whore right now.
Most people in arranged marriages weren't too thrilled about them. Somehow he always got the sense that Mary wasn't too excited about marrying him one day, either. But that wasn't how he had felt at all. He was in love with her-her beauty, her love of people, and her willingness to serve Yahweh.
But he had been so wrong to love her. So terribly wrong. Tomorrow he would call off the marriage and start searching for a new wife. His parents would understand. Meanwhile it was time to go to bed and end this miserable day.
"Joseph....." A majestic voice echoed throughout his bedroom. A bright light captivated his eyes.
"Joseph...." the voice continued again. What did it want? Could this be what Mary had heard?
"Y-y-yes?"
"Don't be afraid to marry Mary. She really has been empreganated by the Holy Spirit and not by some other man. She's having a baby boy, and you're supposed to name him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins."
Then the voice disappeared as suddenly as it had entered. Joe knew immediately what he had to do.
"Hello?" Mary answered his call, barely audible. He could tell she had been crying.
"Mary, will you marry me?"
***********************************************************************************
"Birth census? This is ridiculous! Rick Scott wants to take a dumb survey of how many people were born in each Florida town so he can prove to California that there are more people born in Florida than in California?! And they aren't even counting women-just the man of the household! He is DUMB and SEXIST!" Joe and Mary had been watching the news with Mary's parents and had heard Governor Scott's announcement. Mary hadn't taken it too well...
"Well, it looks like people born in the Jacksonville area have to register on December 24. Oh, and Mary baby...they are still counting women. But they just register wherever their husband was born."
"Well if we get married in June then it looks like you and I will be going to Macclenny to register together as a family," Mary smiled. She was in love with Joe and was incredibly happy that the Lord had spoken to him. He understood her situation.
"And Tampa area people have to register December 17," Mary's father mentioned. Mary's parents had accepted Mary's pregnancy as divine after watching Liz give birth to baby John. They knew that if God had made a 55-year old barren woman pregnant, then maybe Mary wasn't crazy. God was with them.
***********************************************************************************
Joe collapsed on the couch and sighed after a long day at work on the construction site where he was a carpenter, but then looked at the beautiful picture of he and his bride on their wedding day. It had been six months since he had married his beautiful wife and he had never been happier.
Because most people wouldn't believe that Mary was a pregnant virgin, Mary was taking dual enrollment classes at Tallahassee Community College instead of going to Leon High her senior year to avoid ridicule. They still had to face the scorn from the Jewish community, who couldn't believe that Mary was a virgin. In order to prove that Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary and Joe had decided not to have sex for the first time until after Jesus was born. Joe couldn't wait. Mary was so beautiful.
Mary marched in, exhausted after a day of classes. She looked angry. Her crazy pregnant woman hormones were coming out.
"Joe. When are we leaving to do that stupid census thing in Macclenny?"
"We have to do it the 24."
"JOE! This is bad!!!"
"Why?"
"The doctor said that I'm due on December 24! We had better be 10 minutes within a hospital, that's all I'm saying. And I have a craving for nachos. You should REALLY buy me Taco Bell!" Mary smiled at her husband.
Joe sighed. Pregnant women. He couldn't wait until God was with them and out of Mary's belly.
*********************************************************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment