A nine months to remember

I will never forget that amazing day. I was just about to get married to my future husband Joseph. I was 16 years old, Joseph was 27.
It was a beautiful day, I was out in the back of my fathers house getting some dried meat. I remember hearing the people talking of business and the gossip if the day all around me. I never was one to really care about gossip so I just rolled my eyes and walked back into the house. I put the meat in a bowl that was sitting on a little table Joseph had made. He's a carpenter you know. I remember that not but 5 seconds after I put the meat in the bowl, a brilliant light began growing all around me. Out of fear I fell to the ground and slid under the table.
"What is that?" I thought. I saw a pair of feet sink to our dirt floor and a stunning white robe fell all around the feet. I realized that what ever it was that was out there wasn't going to hurt me so I pocked my head out and stood up. My mouth just hung open and I'm sure my eyes were as big as chariot wheels! It was a man, a glowing man, immediately I realized it was a angel, so I feel to my knees. The noise that I had heard early seemed to have faded and all I heard and saw was light and then... he spoke. He spoke to me! He said, "Mary, the Lord has found favor in you.Do not be afraid." I froze, wondering how could this be real. " You will bear him a son, and he shall be call Emmanuel, and his kingdom will have no end." I slowly lifted my head. I couldn't look at him because he was so bright, but I sat and pondered what I should say. I opened my lips to speak but nothing came out, so I tried again. "I am the Lord's humble servant, it will be as you say." With that a light descended on me then left, and it was as it was before the angel came.
Shaking, I stood up and shook my head, amazed at what had just taken place. "The Lord has found favor in me!?! How...how can this be? What have I ever done differently then other women that the Lord would single me out to carry his son? Wait! I'm going to have a baby? God's baby!?! No ones going to believe me! And and... I'm not married yet! What will people think!?!"
I remember panicking for a brief moment then a peace came over me that was indescribable. "Everything will be fine. The Lord will help me through all of this."
So being the girl that I was, I didn't really do anything. I fixed the meat then went outside into the streets to find Joseph. I didn't know what to tell him, so I remember walking down the streets rehearsing what I was going to say. " Shalom Joseph. Um.... just a minuet ago I was visited by an angel, and well, I'm going to have a baby. God's baby.... No no that wont work. Ok, God choose me to carry his son, so I'm having a baby that's really God? No, that won work either."
I remember people were starring at me like I was crazy, but I didn't really care. I was honored and humbled that God would choose me to carry his son, but still, I was worried. I knew He would be with me and that no matter what trials I went through He would never leave me. But still! I 16, not married and here I was going to have a baby! But I was steadfast in my faith so smiled and held my head high and continued to walk to Joseph's wood shop.
As I neared the shop I slowed down. Once again fear and doubt began to fill my mind, but I pushed it aside. I told the angel I would do this and there's no turning back now. So I clasped my hands in front of me and walked inside the shop.
It was dark inside the shop compared to outside so I could see to well. "Joseph?" I called. He looked up from his work and a smile spread across his face. He wiped his hands off and walked over to me. "Shalom Mary!" He said as he swept me up in a hug. I was still smiling but I was worried about how he would respond to the news of me having a baby. Joseph was a Godly man and I was thinking maybe he would stay by me and help, or he may not want to marry me anymore. But this was for God, not him. I looked up into his eyes and said, "Joseph I have something I need to tell you." He tilted his head to one side the way he always did when he listened to me and so I continued. Slowly at first then I got faster with excitement. "Joseph I was visited by an angel. I was scared so I fell to the ground and well he told me not to be afraid, but I still was, and well, he said that God had found favor in me and that God is sending his son to earth and well, Joseph... I'm going to have a baby. God's baby." I slowed back down on the last words out of my mouth because they really hit me. I looked back down at my feet as a smile spread across my face but when I looked up, my smile was gone. Joseph held me at arms length and just stared at me with a look of confusion on his face. He sputtered the word "What?" He dropped his arms and took a couple of steps back. "Your going to have a baby?" He said in shock. I told him again, "Yes. A angel came to me and told me God had chosen me to carry his son to earth. I'm going to have God's child! Me!" Now when I looked at him he looked angry. "Mary, don't lie to me please. This isn't something to play around with. Here lets go to the back and talk about this." So he grabbed my hand and lead me to the back of the shop and he began to talk again. "Now Mary, your saying a angel of God came to you and now your having God's son?" He said this in a hushed yet strained voice. "Don't lie to me about something like this. Mary how could you? I love you and we were supposed to be married!?! Why did you go and sell yourself and get pregnant?" He had small tears in his eyes and now I began to cry. I thought to myself 'Why doesn't he believe me? God why!?' I began to speak softly to him. "Joseph I didn't have sex with anyone. I'm not lying, you have to believe me! I'm telling you the truth! Would I lie about something like this?" I looked at him pleadingly but he just looked away. "Mary, I want to believe you, but I can't. What your saying is impossible. I love you, but I can't marry you anymore." I began sobbing right there and begging him 'no' but he continued. "I don't want you to get hurt and I feel it would be better if we just called off the wedding privately. I don't want you getting hurt. But do you really expect me to believe that story? Why can't you just tell me the truth?!" I fell down at Joseph's feet and grabbed the hem of his cloak. "Joseph, please, I am telling you the truth! You have to believe me! Please don't do this! I'm not lying to you!" I cried as a sat there on the floor. Joseph looked up to the sky and tried desperately not to cry either. He bent down and picked me up and looked me right in the eyes. "Mary, it has to be done. I just can't believe a story like that. I'm sorry." I stepped back from him and turned around and walked out. My face was red and covered in tears from crying so I pulled a corner around from my head covering and wiped my eyes. I prayed as I walked back down the street to my fathers house. 'Lord, why did you choose me!?! Why? It could have been anyone else, but you choose me! Why didn't Joseph believe me? I love him Lord, please help me! I will remain your humble servant, but please open Joseph's eyes! Don't let him do this!' It was getting dark outside by the time I walked into the house. I pulled open the door and walked into the dimly lit house. I realized I had been out a while because I saw that my parents had already eaten the meat I had placed out. I tried to walk quietly to my room but the oil lamps weren't very bright so I nearly tripped over one of my younger sibling's stools. My mother heard me and she came out to see where I had been.
If there's one good thing about my mother its that she is very understanding and easy to talk to. Mt mother's name is Hannah by the way. I had been walking around the fields outside of the city praying, and still crying. "Mary is that you? Sweetheart where have you been? Were you with Joseph?" She lit another oil lamp and moved it to the table Joseph had carved, and looked at me. "What's wrong, what happened?" I began to cry as she wrapped her arms around me. "Mother, Joseph called off our wedding!" I whimpered to her. "Why Mary!?!" She said in a concerned voice. "Mother today I was visited by an angel, he told me that God has chosen me to carry his son! I'm going to have a baby, but I'm still a virgin. I'm going to have God's son! How can this be? Well Joseph didn't believe me and he thinks I had sex with some other guy. That's why he called off the wedding. But mother you can't tell anyone about this! I don't know what to do! I know God is with me through this all, but I'm so confused!" I wailed. My mother just stood there shocked. She didn't know what to say, but what she said helped me so much. "Darling, I believe you. Our God has been known to do things like this and I don't think you would lie about something this big. It's very unbelievable and odd, but I'll do the best I can to help you." That was all she said. She kissed me on the forehead and told me not to worry about Joseph "If God intends this to happen, well then it happens. But wait and let's see what our Lord does." I bent over and picked up the stool I had knocked over and then pulled back the curtain door of my room and went inside. It was very dark and outside I could hear the crickets singing. I felt my way through the darkness to my bed and sat down. Somewhere off in the distance I heard some sheep and their Shepard's playing their flutes and talking. I began to cry again as I placed my hand on my stomach and the picture of the angel flashed through my mind. "I have been so blessed but is it even possible for this to happen? I mean this baby inside of me is...God? Lord I'm so confused! But I remain your humble servant. Please show Joseph that I'm telling the truth!" I prayed well into the night and finally fell asleep. I woke up early and busied myself with work. I hadn't been up for more then a half hour when to my surprise Joseph came running in. He was all out of breath and had a look of shock on his face and a big smile too. "Mary!" He panted. "I need to talk to you, follow me." Confused but curious I followed him to the back of the house near the back gate. "Mary you wont believe what happened to me last night! When I fell asleep I was visited by an angel too! Only I'm not having a baby." I smiled as he stumbled over his words. He was getting very excited and speaking faster and faster. "Mary you weren't lying! The angel said that I should take you to be my wife still, and that you really were carrying God's son! He told me to name him Jesus."
I stood there with a smile on my face and I slowly repeated the name out loud. "Jesus....Jesus." Joseph and I talked a long time and we walked through the crowded streets. "Mary I can't really marry you though until Jesus is born. Ok?" I knew Joseph was only trying to do what was best so I nodded my head in agreement. As we turned the corner I saw a roman messenger yelling an announcement to the crowds. Joseph stopped walking and tilted his head to the side to listen. "Hum... sounds like Caesar's asking everyone to go back to their home towns to do taxes. Bethlehem is a good long journey form here. At least 5 months. He certainly is asking a lot! I guess it's a good thing they're saying this very early!" Joseph said jokingly. I began wondering about if I should go with him, so I asked him. "Am I supposed to go to Bethlehem with you?" I said looking up at him. His black hair blew in the slight breeze and I couldn't help but brush the hair out of his face. He caught my hand and kissed and and said, "Yes, you are almost my wife, so I guess it would only be right if you came with me." He kissed my hand again and we continued to walk around the town. I picked up some food at some stales on the way back to the house and Joseph said good-bye and I went inside.
When I went inside my mother walked towards me and said "Mary, you should probably know this, 4 months ago Elizabeth was found pregnant. Yes, it's amazing but true. They are going to have a son also. That's the reason why Zachariah can't speak. He didn't believe what the angel told him so they muted him. The Lord must have big plans for your baby. Clearly your son Jesus is who the angel said he was, the son of God. It has to be Elizabeth is very old, it's the only way this could happen. This is very exciting, yet unbelievable too. Why don't you go tell her your good news too?" I thought a moment and figured I would. Before I left I told my mother also I the news about the taxes and I said I was going to Bethlehem with Joseph. She nodded her head and I went out the door.
I walked a while till the I got to the eastern side of the town. I turned the last corner to Elizabeth's house and stopped at a little cloth covered stall and bought some of the fresh bread.
"Shalom!" I greeted. The baker and I talked a while about the up coming taxing and having to travel back to the different towns. "Sigh...those Romans!" With that we both gave a laugh and I continued with the bread had bought for Elizabeth and Zachariah. I quietly walked up to there open door so I wouldn't walk up the baby with my walking. I poked my head in side and gently called for Elizbeth. I tried to hide my growing belly by just sticking my head inside the door frame, I wanted to surprise her.
"Elizabeth?" She called back for me to come out back where she was cooking. I realized the baby must be with her so I wasn't worried about waking their baby John.
"That IS a odd name." I thought to myself, "But clearly it was God's will. Oh well."
"Mary! Oh how are you! I figure your mother told you about our little miricle John! How have you been?"
I held the loaf of bread in front of my large belly as I starred at the little baby fast asleep in a wooden crib that was swaying gently in the warm breeze.
" Well, I'm doing good. So much has happened lately. A lot of amazing things, but then again God is amazing himself and he never ceases to amaze me!" Elizabeth nodded her head as a smile passed across her wrinkled old face. She motioned for me to sit down on the extra stoll next to her. I lowered myself carefully so I would cause Jesus to stir. Elizabeth looked at me funny for being so careful to sit down but I smiled and hoped she wouldn't guess why I sat so funny.
" So what has been so amazing that has happened to you these days?" I took a deep breath and began on my long story.
" About 4 months ago I had a angle visit me." Elizabeth really perked up then and leaned forward to hear me better.