The Journey, Part I

So this week marks Thanksgiving, and in my family, that means traveling.  Now that we live in Texas, that means traveling a long way!  We have several legs to our journey.  First, to Memphis, where my family all lives...then the next day to Knoxville, where Bradley's family all lives.  Knoxville, according to my son, Brody, is our home town.  So this week, while we're on the different legs of our journey home and back, I thought we could focus on all the journeys that Jesus took...even the one before He was born.  Today, "The Journey, Part I"

Let's think about Mary's first journey we read about in the Bible. IMAGINE this situation for a second....  Joseph and Mary were to be married, and before that official day when the father of the bridegroom decides it is time for the family to journey together and go get the Bride and bring her to her new home...a huge Jewish celebration, mind you...  Well, before Joseph got to do this with Mary, she came to the family and informed them all that she was pregnant with God's child.  Well, their engagement time changed quite a bit.  And with all the gossip in their little town of Nazareth...and the shame that her family must have felt...Mary decided that she needed to go and spend some time with her cousin Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was expecting her first child too.  And this the first part of Mary's journey.  

We're not exactly sure how long it took Mary to get there...but she went alone.  She most likely walked...could have rode for a ways on a wagon or donkey.  Yes, newly pregnant, alone, scared and traveling far from home.  You know, this was the time before letters, phones, emails, etc.  Mary took this long journey and it would be a surprise for her waiting cousin.  Now IMAGINE the moment that she walked up to the house where Zachariah and Elizabeth lived, and Mary began to call out with excitement for her cousin.  "Elizabeth...Zachariah...it's Mary!  Where are you?"  And out ran Elizabeth holding her round belly, and her face with filled with awe.  And with excitement, her greeting to her young cousin was this..."Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  Why is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"  Ok...this passage is filled with so much that I get excited.  First of all...the baby inside Elizabeth was a miracle child too..given to Elizabeth and Zachariah in their old age.  He was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah...Mary's baby, Jesus.  That's another story.  But here is Elizabeth asking our young, scared, alone, pregnant Mary this question, "Why is it that the mother of MY LORD has come to me?"  What a moment!  Could Mary's heart have skipped a beat?  Her family didn't quite understand all that was happening...but in a moment, Elizabeth did.  I IMAGINE that Mary's heart felt comfort, maybe her eyes welled up with tears of joy and relief...Elizabeth understood that Mary had a special calling on her life to carry "THE LORD".  This was going to be a good visit for our young Mary.  There are many reasons, but one that I feel was most important is that Elizabeth was having a baby before Mary.  Mary could learn all that she'd need to know for when it would be her time to give birth to this Holy Child.  Isn't our God a God of the details?  Of course He is.  And He was ordaining the perfect plan to prepare this young woman who was blessed among all women.   Oh, but the story doesn't stop there....more to come tomorrow.  And it is special!