And Mary had a Stable...

I want a bed for my baby.
I want a place to put tiny baby clothes away.
I want a plant and a candle in my bedroom.
I want a night stand to put my water bottle on.
I want a stool for my shower.
I want my mom to be able to be here.
I want
I want
I want
I want...

And Mary had a stable.

This was my turn of thoughts while standing under the hot shower of water in a bathroom adjacent to my bedroom. I stood there for twenty minutes adding to my list of wants, and the entire list slowly faded away as the Lord tenderly revealed these reflections:

"And what about Mary? Do you really think she wanted that stinky ol' stable? Away from her own comfortable nest? Far away from women who loved her and would have been her help?"
She didn't have a clue where she would labor.
She didn't know if Joseph would be able to get womanly help.
She had her swaddling clothes, but didn't know if there'd be a place to lay her baby.
She didn't know.
And what did she finally have after all those questions were answered?

Why,
Mary had a stable.

She had a stable, and there birthed the Son of our Living God. Saviour of the world, and King of Kings.

I've been wondering if it was providential that Mary didn't keep a diary. What would have been written in it?
Perhaps it would have been full of peace and joy, of contentment and perfect trust. She was divinely chosen by God the Father and so it might have been.

But...
perhaps it would have had paragraphs written by the hormones of an eight and a half pregnant woman lamenting all that her baby wouldn't have. All she was missing out on that other first time mothers would have had. Perhaps there was quite a long list of things she wanted for her birthing and baby's arrival.
Perhaps she was weepy - just like I get.
Perhaps she was fearful, doubtful, and concerned, even in the excitement and anticipation of having that little one.

Perhaps.

There's no knowing for sure, but I think God perfectly orchestrated events so that we wouldn't know.

After all, it's really not Mary's story.
Her redemption was needed as much as mine. And the Saviour born in that stable was the one bringing hope. HE is the star of that story!

I think God cared deeply for Mary's plight, but not more than He desired for her to be part of something that would give Him far more glory.
More glory and honor than if she had everything she wanted, and knew ahead of time that shepherds and wise men would worship her son. More glory than if she could have written the family back home and said

"Dear Family, You wouldn't believe how Yahweh worked out all the details! When Joseph and I arrived in Bethlehem we found a lovely place to rent that exactly fits our budget.
There is a big bedroom and bath where I was able to soak during labor, and wonder of wonders, there is a Jewish midwife living right next door who was able to attend Jesus' birth! When he was born, we wrapped him in swaddling clothes and lay him in that big bed right between us and gazed in wonder..."

Details of Mary's story might have gotten in the way. Possibly.

Our eyes should always be on the Deliverer, not the delivered;-)
I bet Mary's were.

I want mine to be too so the Lord has all the glory there is to be had in my life, and in whatever the circumstances of this child's birth.

I know my flesh remains. So do the hormones. But I now remember something important:
wants are just that... wants.

The baby will be born whether or not I have the room ready (babies don't wait for that sort of thing), and Lord-willing I will be holding my precious bundle in my arms (where I really want to lay that fuzzy little head anyway). And I already know I will have a comfortable bed, and hot shower, my beloved husband, and precious women around who love me...
IS there more to want?

And Mary,
She had the Son of God... in a stable.