A story about a peasant girl. Lessons from Mary.

Mary…

She is a woman whose great eminence in the pages of scripture and in our own lives cannot be ignored as to the kind of character she had, and more especially the greatness she carried within her.

She was from the tribe of Judah and the line of David.

Mary was a Jewish peasant girl who lived in a small village, a place so insignificant and of less recognition as to lead a guy named Nathanael to say, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth.” (John1:46).

At the time we see her story unfolding, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph when she received the kind of news that changed her status, virgin to supernaturally being called a mother to be.

With this assurance, “nothing is impossible with God.”(Luke 1:37) The angel told her that she would be pregnant and bear a son who was to be named Jesus. Wait for it…

Asked to how this would be, since she was a virgin. The angel told her that, the HolySpirit would come upon her and the power of the most high would overshadow her.

Her selection by God to be the mother of an extraordinary son is as mysterious as her conception of him within her womb. Mary has remained to be a famous female character since the days of the manger in bethlehem till now.

Like many great women I have read about that wow me. There is something about Mary that pulls a string within me and pushes me to my core to really open my eyes that even now when our times are so different we can draw great lessons from her. Here is why.

The bible may have no words describing much of her childhood or her family. From the records we are informed that she was poor and was from a less recognized village. Yet it is out of this peasant woman where the greatest man ever known came from.

Like Mary, even though we live in a time so different from hers, you and I bear greatness within us that God has put despite our background, past or status. It is then up to us to believe that we bear greatness that the world awaits to see.

Therefore, we must guard it jealously and nature it, by feeding on the right nutrients for us to see the greatness God has placed in us come to fruition.

A pregnant mother does not take in anything. She is careful because what she takes in will simultaneously affect what’s within her. 

(Edited)…I wrote this article you’re reading 5years ago for Natasha Chitimbe’s project now Mrs Mukamba. At the time I wrote this article in 2016 I was in my premedical years. 5 years later, after learning courses like Pharmacology that have equipped me with knowledge on drugs contraindicated in pregnant women. I understand better why a pregnant woman is advised not to diagnose herself. I now understand why certain drugs can literally kill the development of a baby.

What we feed on, that is; what we watch, listen to, eat and drink all determine how healthy what we carry will be. Failure to acknowledge this, whatever dreams or visions we have will continue dancing behind our eyes, never coming to reality.

“I am the lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38) 

Before those beautifully curated obedient words ever flowed out of Mary’s mouth, we can be sure, though not recorded, Mary had no single grin of excitement from the news she had just received… this news was confusing. It is only after she realized what she was carrying and how blessed she was, did excitement rise up from within her.

At the moment the angel delivered news of her conceiving, I imagine that her facial expression changed to that of a confused young girl as if all the,

“what if”,

“when”

and

“how” statements were painted on her face.

In the midst of confusion within herself, as if trying to pick which question to ask from the many thoughts and fears she had. She asked the angel with a straight face, “how then will I conceive, since I am a virgin?”

I imagine that some of these questions tried to make their way out of her mouth too.

“Will people believe me?”

“Will Joseph believe me?”

“Will I manage? I don’t think I am ready…”

“Where are the finances going to come from, me and my fiancée didn’t plan for this?”

“What if I fail?….”

You’ll agree that this does sound similar to some of the common questions and fears about our future. I know they do for me.

The bible does not talk about the first hand challenges Mary might have gone through, again we are only left to imagine what this young woman may have gone through to convince everyone what she was carrying.

From the information we have I don’t think she tried to convince people. She was so intentional about what she was carrying that she decided to go and stay with Elizabeth for the first three months after she found out she was pregnant. Elizabeth recognized what Mary was carrying upon their first encounter. Mary did not have to explain herself.

When the angel left……

Luke 1:39-55 MSG

“Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly, You’re so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me?

The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, the babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true!”

‭‭”And Mary said, I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what hap mpened— I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him…”

Be around people that recognize what you carry within you without having to explain yourself for them to believe.

I believe not everyone understood Mary.

Even through all that, she chose to trust God and take Him at His word.

She offered herself as a SERVANT and out of her came a SAVIOUR of the world.

Not everyone will believe and understand what God has put in you. Quit trying to make everyone understand. They are not the one carrying the baby.

When doubt, fear and challenges flood your journey in the quest to make you quit choose to trust God.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12 : 9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1 : 9

Happy International Women’s day!!❤️

📸Credit: Unsplash