Sweet Baby Jesus

I was completely blown away this morning during my quiet time. I read the daily scriptures then listened to my usual reflection by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on my Laudate app on my phone. If you don't have this app, get on it people. It's the bomb. 

Anyway, his reflection today was on the "Weakness of the Baby Jesus". When I first heard this, I was like, "say, wha?? God, weak, uh no" but then I listened further to the wise and humble words of Pope Emeritus.... and let me tell ya'll...mind blown. 

Here are some words from his mediation that really stuck out to me profoundly. 

"The weakness of the baby Jesus. At the heart of the mystery is the paradox that the glorious God decides to manifest himself in the helplessness of a child who is overlooked by adult society and comes into the world in a stable. The powerlessness of a child has become the proper expression of God's all subduing power. For the only force He employs is the silence force of truth and love.  It was then in the defenseless weakness of a child that God wanted us to have our first encounter of saving mercy."

I often reflected on why God came as a baby, in a stable. And while I am sure this is one of those mysteries that will have us constantly striving to understand the way of God through it, I can't help but think of the relevancy of the weakness of the baby Jesus that there is today. Although his reflection was not specifically on pro life issues, my mind couldn't help but gravitate towards it after reading his words. 

There is absolutely no mistaking that babies are being overlooked by our adult society. This is a hot topic in today's world. Candidates for presidency are being elected or not elected in our country in large part because of this one topic. Children are the prey and our country is divided because of this. 

So why baby Jesus? Pope Emeritus says that "the powerlessness of the child has become the proper expression of God's all subduing power". The Lord crushes Satan and sin but the only "force he employs is the silence of truth and love". He says that it was "in the defenseless weakness of a child that God wanted us to have our first encounter of saving mercy". 

I believe this speaks truth to the pro life movement. That the very act of a God choosing a child, a baby, to come into the world speaks profound truth to the fact that saving mercy can come from the defenseless weakness of a child. That through an unplanned pregnancy, even in the case of rape or incest, absolute saving mercy and an encounter with Jesus can come from choosing life for that child.

I've witnessed it in our own adoption. Saving grace and mercy healed and redeemed our birth mother. She has a strong relationship with Christ now because of her choice of life and because of the beautiful healing the Lord did during her pregnancy and even still does now through our beautiful semi open relationship we have with her. 

This Christmas I'll be reflecting on the saving power of God, paying close attention to His purposeful use of a baby. And I'll be lifting up my prayers for birth mothers and fathers who need the Lord's healing. I'll be praying that the force of truth and love come into their lives and hearts through the children they carry in their flesh. I ask you to join me in the prayer for life and healing. Because I believe that redemption of our world can come through a country that stands firmly for life. 

Preparing for War this Advent

Last night I was browsing through pictures from our time in the great state of Texas when we first met our son. I can't help but have an overwhelming amount of mixed emotions as I stroll through those memories. But what I realized is my emotions become fixated on the absolute courage of our son's birth mother. I know that I have blogged about this before but her actions and her heart still have me in utter awe. Maybe it's because I have been down the road where a birth mother has decided at the last minute to keep her child rather than place him for adoption, I don't know. But I know that the way I live my life is different because of her. Because of her choice, because of her courage.

With it being Advent, I've been reflecting, obviously, more about the journey our Blessed Mother, Mary took as she carried the Messiah in her womb. Although I have never been pregnant, walking through the last few months of my son's pregnancy with his birth mother has really given me insight into what it may have been like for Mary. I was so blessed that I had regular email contact with our birth mother through out those last few months and that she was more than eager and willing to share each and every part of her pregnancy with me. She allowed me to get to know Joshua even before I met him. From his kicks, to his hiccups, to his response to cajun food...I knew it all. And because of that, I am still in awe of her peace and courage throughout the pregnancy and at his birth. During those sweet nine months of carrying him in her womb she cared for him, sang to him, prayed for him, changed the way she ate, worked out and lived FOR HIM...only to say goodbye to him one day. Many people say that they don't know how any mother could do that...but I can tell you that another mother modeled that courage and grace....Mary, the Mother of our Savior. It's unsure how much Mary really knew about what was to happen to her son but she knew one thing and I'm certain it was more than telling...He was the Son of God, the Messiah.

Mary had a huge decision to make when the Angel appeared to her. And she said "yes". And so as we all prepare for Christmas and patiently "wait and prepare" in advent, I encourage you to really think about how Mary prepared. This was the single most difficult decisions she made. And it was a decision that she continually had to make. No doubt, it was a daily decision. A daily yes through the trials of an unwed woman carrying a child to term. And then what happens when she actually has this child? After all, he is the Messiah! What did that mean for her life and future being the mother to him? I believe that Mary didn't just "prepare to have "sweet baby Jesus". I believe she prepared for war. She knew when she said yes to God that day, that she was in for it. She knew that God was penetrating through the the earth...and that was going to be a cra-zay!

It's natural for me to make parallels of the gospel to adoption because I truly believe that adoption is a reflection of the gospel on earth. But usually I take the "God adopts us into his family" route. This Advent, I've been realizing that there is so much more to it than that. Adoption, in a lot of cases is a story of redemption. The journey birth mothers have to take can be closely paralleled to Mary's journey. These birth mothers, our birth mother, said yes to life even when it meant it wouldn't be easy. In fact, it absolutely won't be easy.  They spend their pregnancies preparing for the day they say goodbye to a child they have grown so close to much like Mary sitting at the foot of the cross of her baby boy she once carried in her very flesh. But it doesn't stop there. Birth mothers are also preparing for the backlash they will experience from family and friends after placing their child. Can you imagine the backlash Mary went through, not only while carrying Jesus in her womb but after he was born as well?

Then why do they do it? Because the alternative is death. In our society the likely alternative to an unplanned pregnancy is abortion, unfortunately. So the women who choose the difficult but life giving route of adoption, they do it because they want to right a wrong, redeem sin, and give life to a child which can literally change the world in which we live. I was able to witness God's profound grace all over our birth mother as she made the decision to place her baby for adoption...but that doesn't mean it was easy.

So what does this mean for us? Especially for those not touched by adoption personally. Prepare this Advent as if you're preparing for war. Because living a life believing in Jesus in this society is like doing so. We know, ultimate the war is won but there are battles we're compelled to engage in. But I warn you, these battles may not always appear to be combative. In our world, there is a war on kindness, on love, on true charity in the name of Jesus. And there is the obvious and ever important war on life that each and every one of us can fight in by the way we live our lives and build our families. Because the season of Advent means candles and prayer and lights and presents and...war. Preparation is vital.

The decision to live for Jesus isn't easy. Put on your armor this Advent.