With a Single Kick
As I was reading today’s entry in this year’s Advent devotional by Chad Bird, something new occurred to me. We all know the part of the story where Mary was visited by Gabriel to tell her about what was about to happen - that she, a virgin, would have a child who was to be the Son of God. The moment that broke into my imagination this morning was the poignancy of that first kick that she felt when Jesus was in her womb. As a father, I have witnessed that there are many parts of pregnancy that take place before the first kick in utero, but when I could feel and see my children move in Sarah’s tummy it was a whole new reality. The moment when Mary first felt Jesus kick must have been a revelation unto itself.
As Chad points out, the gift of belief comes to us from God. If you have yet to get a copy of our devotional, I share this short passage:
“Virginity and baby-making are mutually exclusive categories. We know this. Mary knew this. So, rightly does her relative Elizabeth proclaim, ‘Blessed is she who believed.’ And therein is the dead giveaway as to how Mary believed: she received the blessed gift of faith. Belief isn’t some latent power we stir up within us; it is trust bequeathed to us by the hand of the Spirit.”
I have found that every time belief is stirred up within me it is always wonderfully new and fantastic. Certainly, it is not as miraculous as feeling the incarnate God kick within your tummy with no physically logistical justification as a virgin. But, just like the theme for stewardship campaign, “…like a mustard seed,” we learn that God is at work in the little things that through grace and love become the most important things. It seems unlikely that even Mary could understand the impact of the child she carried, but the wonderful thing is that she didn’t need to understand. This was God’s doing and it is marvelous.
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+