Merry Christmas!
Over the last few weeks as Christmas has approached, I have found myself amazed as I ponder the truth behind what we celebrate. One night, I was called in to help with a delivery in which the baby was coming out the wrong way, feet first instead of head. It wasn’t her first baby, thankfully, and she was close to delivering. I called in the team to be ready for a C-section, but she wanted to try for a vaginal delivery, so I said that we could try. After pushing for a while, we hadn’t made much progress so I went over to the Operating Theater to get the team ready. A nurse came running over a minute later saying that the baby was part of the way out. I ran back to the delivery room to see most of baby visible with the head still yet to be delivered. My heart raced as I went to help the midwife and I prayed a quick prayer. With the next push, the baby’s head delivered. While he was initially a little stunned, he soon gave a big cry.
Coming into this world can be a harrowing process, especially when you do not have the help or the resources that you need. And even after you arrive, there are a lot of things that can happen in the first few days. A significant part of my work here is trying to keep mothers and babies safe and healthy. And yet, God chose to enter the world this way-through pain and blood and uncertainty into abject poverty.
The Magnificat, or Mary’s Song in Luke 1, has resonated with my heart this year.
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been
mindful
of
the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the
Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy
is his name.
50 His mercy extends to
those who fear him,
from
generation to generation.
51 He has performed
mighty deeds with his arm;
he
has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down
rulers from their thrones
but
has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the
hungry with good things
but
has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his
servant Israel,
remembering
to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his
descendants forever,
just
as he promised our ancestors.”
God, through the manner in which He gave His Son, has revealed to us the way He operates in the world. He has scattered the proud and sent the rich away empty, but he has lifted up the humble and filled the hungry with good things.
One of my favorite parts of Christmas here at Kudjip is the nativity play put on by the children at the church. They have a moment at the end of the play where all the shepherds, wisemen and extras come to where Joseph and Mary are with Jesus in the stable. But they don’t just walk in to see Jesus and finish up the play. They come dancing through the church with joy and a simplicity of heart. Every time I feel my heart swelling like the grinch and tears come to my eyes at this earnest response to Jesus.
May you be able to meet Jesus with joy and simplicity of heart this Christmas.
