Rescued by Mary and The Magnificat

I'm not sure that I have hosts of people wondering how Christmas Day went, but I'm sure if anybody read my post on Christmas and the fact we were going to do it without gifts, must be wondering, "How did it go?"

First of all, you may have noticed, I have not been posting lately - I've been sleeping!  I usually get up at 5 am to write, but with the kids "off", I've been taking advantage of a more relaxed schedule and so I find myself sleeping along with the rest of them and quite enjoying it.  I've also noticed why I should keep my writing at the early hour, as if I do try to write any other time of the day, it just doesn't happen due to the fact a host of little people are constantly trying to get my attention, so I end up giving up the attempt at writing and will probably need to wait until the early mornings start again to be more regularly writing.

I've also been writing countless posts in my head that will also hopefully eventually get out there, too.  I've learned a LOT over the last few days.  It has been an amazing learning experience for our family.

Where to begin....

The days preceding the 25th were full of fun events from baking, to visiting friends or family, to playing in the snow, to writing Christmas cards, planning a child's December birthday.......it was full and fun and kept us busy.  The kids weren't really sensing it was that different a year.

Christmas Eve was a little different, however.  I'm not sure if it was because we were on the eve of a financially significant decision or if it was just because we were feeling the effects of several late nights in a row starting to catch up or if Satan was trying to attack, but there was tension in the home for part of that evening.....should we be surprised?

Due to the fact the little ones were falling apart, I went with the older ones to the Christmas Eve service at our church.  Two of our girls were playing and singing a song in the service - The Magnificat.

They had been practising for days.  I had heard the song played over and over, but not once had I read the title of the song or heard the words or listened to the lyrics until that night.  I had only listened to the beautiful melody and had almost missed the incredible message that was just below the surface.  I was definitely supposed to be there that night- I needed to hear that song.

What is The Magnificat?  It is simply Mary's response to hearing what the angel said would happen to her.  If the Bible would have included music and instruments, I am convinced it would have sounded just the way Keith and Krysten Getty's version was written.  If you haven't heard their version of the song, you must listen to it, it is incredibly moving.

After the song was sung, the pastor took a few minutes to read the Magnificat from Luke 1 and it was then that I started to hear God speak to me.   I kept noticing, three times, to be exact, the phrase "all generations" or "from generation to generation" or "to Abraham and his descendants forever" is mentioned.  When God is trying to tell me something, he often tries to get my attention, just like little Samuel and Eli, in "threes".  He doesn't necessarily call my name three times, but he'll have three different people talk to me, or he'll show me three verses and in this case it was showing me the three phrases all slightly different, but stating the same idea - it was the idea that there is generational impact because of Mary's simple, quiet obedience.

The significance here is because, well, I have to admit, I had started to waver, started to feel a little bit badly for our kids.  It was low grade at first, but then, one of them mentioned on Christmas Eve that she wasn't feeling as excited as she normally would have and, you guessed it, I panicked. I started thinking all sorts of thoughts to myself, "I've taken the magic out of Christmas!  I've ruined all their fun, taken all the joy, all the anticipation out of the season!  Have we made the right decision!?"  A cloud had come over me. 

All the other children were sitting there during the service, no doubt, thinking of all the gifts they'd be opening on Christmas Day, but not mine....I struggled.

Then the Super Hero, Mary, flew into the church and saved the day.  I was rescued from my own pit of despair, once again, by Scripture.  Satan, was trying to pull me down with his talons of doubt, fear, endless comparing to others, but Mary and her Magnificat scooped me up.

Looking back, of course, the attack happening on the night before such a spiritually significant day makes complete sense, doesn't it?  We were about to enter into a day that would forever change our family's financial future - Satan hated that, hated us and wanted me to hate myself, resent my husband, feel sorry for my children...well, it was working....at first.  But then the Magnificat.

We had asked our children to do something extraordinary, nothing like what Mary had to do, but yet quite similar when you think about it.  Mary was asked to carry a baby, the Son of God, when she wasn't even married.  Nowadays, being a pregnant teen is quite a common sight really, no big deal, but not back then - she could have been stoned to death.  We, on the other hand, had asked our kids to forego Christmas presents on Christmas Day - no big deal really, except in this culture.  To give up Christmas presents when everyone in their world is receiving something or in most cases, many things, is HIGHLY UNUSUAL.  It was a lot to ask when I think about it.  And yet, not unlike Mary, who simply stated, "I am the Lord's servant.  May it be so to me as you have said."  They humbly responded, "Yes, we'll do it."  I was humbled by their response.

As all the other children sat in the church that evening thinking about sugarplums and fairies dancing in their heads, my kids listened and heard the story with new ears.  They told me this later.  One son said, "It was so different this year.  I am so glad we took the gifts away.  I could only hear the sermon and only think about Jesus as the true meaning of the season."  He admitted that in other years, it was really hard to focus on Jesus and all he meant to us because, quite honestly, the gifts did overshadow things.  It was like that for all of us, I think, this year.

Here it is - The Magnificat:

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors

 

I came home and shared with my husband what I had heard that night at church.  It helped resolve the tension we had both been feeling.  When I start to waver, when I start to doubt, even though on the outside, Renaissance Man is trying to appear strong, inside I'm making him start to doubt, to waver, as well - thus, the tension. 

 

I explained to him that suddenly I knew what was causing the tension.  We were about to experience freedom.  We weren't going to be out of debt in the morning, but we were about to break a cultural bond, a spiritual bond, a financial bond, so in a way, yes, we would be out of debt in the morning and this is what is so significant - that bond wouldn't just be broken for us, but for "all generations".

 

Mary's decision to accept what the angel said to her meant "from now on all generations would call her blessed".  That's the first allusion to having a generational impact. 

 

As she continued to praise God, she says it again, "His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation."  It sounds like she is repeating herself.  Her obedience meant his mercy would be extended to  multiple generations.  By this point, I was starting to get it.  I started to realize  this will be the case for our children, too - they will see God's mercy extended to them for their obedience.  Mary, literally says, "He has filled the hungry with good things."  My children weren't necessarily hungry for food, but their Christmas stockings were technically "empty"!  Yet, have we been filled with good things this season, this year, our whole lives?  Oh yes - so many good things.

 

The third and final time, again, Mary talks about the generations.  She says, "He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever".   The generational impact cannot be denied - we are blessed because Mary was obedient.  Perhaps our simple Christmas no-gift decision was bigger than I thought.   Reading it for myself  and seeing it repeated three times made me feel pretty confident there was a message for me.  I shared these things with RM that night

 

We went to bed that night feeling lighter, less heavy, more hopeful.

 

The next morning, I made a wonderful breakfast (at least I thought it was!).  Slowly, one by one, they got out of bed.  "Merry Christmas, Mom."  "Merry Christmas."  There was no pomp and circumstance, just quiet reflection until all had gotten up.  We gathered everyone around the table and prayed, thanking God for our food.  Then, I shared with everyone what I had learned from Mary.

 

I could barely get through it.  I am such a bumbling, babbling, blubbering cry baby, but I wanted them to know how much I loved them for accepting this challenge this year.  For not fighting us on it.  For not crying for what they missed out on.  For making it so easy for us.  I wanted them to know, that, like Mary, they will be blessed for their obedience, they will be shown mercy, they will see freedom in their lifetime and that this freedom will be for generations to come because of this year!  I explained to them that because of their obedience, the many generations to come will always look back and thank them for their small role in making a new financial path for the generations to come!   We rejoiced together!  No one was sad! We saw God's goodness, his extreme goodness to us and we praised, just like Mary -  "he had lifted up the humble", these little children, filling them, filling us, "with good things"! We reflected on  how he had "extended mercy" to us, how he "performed mighty deeds with his arm"!  So beautiful! I went on and on.  Sometimes, it was funny.  A child would get up and try to get another serving of something, "Get back on the bench!  I'm not done!"  "Mommy's still talking!"  Daddy would say...everyone knows their emotional Mom.  I just wanted to get it all out - the whole season of wondering, what would that Christmas Morning look like, feel like.  It was amazing.  I still cry just thinking about how God met me, met us, that morning.  My husband was so grateful as it really was harder for me - he was just so happy we hadn't had to spend - we could have, we could have racked up more debt and paid for it later.  We could have done that.  But we didn't and it relieved so much pressure.  But when I started to waver, that pressure went right back up.  I'm sure he was glad I had that talk with Mary.  She helped reassure me I was making a decision for the future generations. 

 

It's a weird thing to go through something so significant.  It felt like we were the only family in the whole world having the experience we were having.  The rest of the world went on like normal, but for us time seemed to stop that day - we experienced freedom that morning like nothing I've ever experienced.

 

After breakfast, it was like the clock started up again and it became a regular day, though, in some ways it was definitely not.  RM had a lot of work to do as his contracts are due soon and there is mounting pressure for delivery.  The children played, I cleaned.  Life went on as normal.

 

But we know, we are a different family because of that day.  I am so grateful to that young girl, Mary, who was asked to be obedient and she simply said "yes".  Because she did, the whole world changed.  The whole world now has hope.  I learned so much from her this year.  I wish I could see into the future to see the impact this year will have on my future generations, but I cannot.  I must simply rest on the promises of God's word and believe his mercy will be extended to the generations to come. 

And so, 2014 is around the corner.  I live in anticipation of what God is going to do.