Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Living Our Vows: Mary & Joseph



I thought i would do Living Our Vows a little different today to celebrate the reason for the season.
We all know the story of Mary and Joseph, the chosen parents for Jesus.  
The love they had for one another was definitely tested even before they were officially living their vows.
Let's paint a little picture shall we...
 (i know you know the story but if i didn't paint the picture then the post would end here!)

Mary was a teenager in her prime, excited to marry the man of her dreams.  
And then one night, suddenly, her whole life changes.  
I don't know if i would be so willing if i was in her shoes. 
 I cannot even imagine the thoughts going through her mind when the Angel Gabriel said to her:  
Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

Mary's Thoughts
Don't be afraid? WHATTHE?
Am i  not a Virgin?
What will Joseph think?
What will my family and friends think?

Not many men would want to marry a woman who was pregnant
 with someone else's baby especially when they weren't really sure what, who, how was going on!  
I am sure when Mary told Joseph what was going on, he probably had many questions.

Joseph's Thoughts
I thought she was a virgin?
What would his family/neighbors think of him?
Would he carry the shame of illegitimacy all through his life?

I think both of their thoughts (and many more) were well founded 
because as soon the plan was revealed,
 i am sure they thought their dreams of living happily ever after was shattered.

However the story of Mary and Joseph is a special one 
because it reminds us to live our lives trusting in God always no matter the circumstances.  
Initially, it started with Mary's decision to submit to God's will and trust Him with the consequences.  
This reminds us that submission to God's will always involves some risk. 
 However God has promised to work all the details together for good 
and we have no alternative but to believe it if we want to enjoy His peace and power.

How many times do we go through a circumstance as a married couple 
and forget to trust in our God and in each other.

During this season, the love story of Mary and Joseph reminds us that: 
1) The willingness to obey God and trust him with the consequences 
is a foundation stone in a good marriage. 
2) Trust in God is only the beginning of a good marriage, however. 
There must also be a deep trust in each other,
 (and no man has ever been asked to trust the girl he married more than the one in this story.)
3) Trust is being able to tell our mates our innermost thoughts and feelings,
4) Trust does put us at our husband’s or wife’s mercy. It makes us totally vulnerable.

I don't know how many of us could live our vows like Mary and Joseph (given the same circumstances) however their love story and union reminds us to TRUST in God and each other at all times. 
They were definitely a couple who reminds us to live our vows completely with God first and foremost!


Questions of the Day:
Have you trusted in God recently while living your vows?
Have you trusted in God during this season?






16 comments:

Theodora Ofosuhima said...

Fun and modern take on Mary and Joseph :)
We put our hopes in God day and night, because he is the one who gives and also takes and there is a reason for everything although we might not see it at first.

sherri lynn said...

This is awesome! I love how you pulled out thoughts and challenges regarding marriage from Mary & Joseph - I honestly have never thought of their example in their marriage! Thanks for sharing this! It was like a mini Bible study :)

Vanessa Mercado said...

they had unconditional love and have a very obedient heart indeed!!! it was really a tough responsibility but they had this willingness in their hearts.. maybe they doubted at first but eventually they gave their life to God and to Jesus... their love and life was really very inspiring... great post and nice pics too..

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Faith said...

ahhh, what a fabulous spin on this! truly enjoyed reading that! i can only hope that we all as married people can remember just what loving, sticking it out through tough times is ... truly using Joseph and Mary as role models to what we ourselves want in our marriages. amazing post!

Mrs. Robinson said...

Good Morning! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post...and I'm going to be sending all of my readers over to read it as well.

Thanks for the reminder on living our vows. I've never really thought about Mary & Joseph as being a husband and a wife...I always think of them as Jesus' earthly parents. It was nice to think about their love story and the example it sets for us.

Merry Christmas!

Mrs. H said...

What a great post on commitment and a modern version of their story. I loved this and truly see that there is a lot that could have been learned from Mary and Joseph's commitment to each other but their trust in the Lord.
This has to definitely be the best of the series!! Love, love, love it!

Sam W. said...

beautiful and meaningful post! i love thinking about young mary and what it would have been like.

Alida Sharp said...

thanks for helping all of us see Mary and Joseph in this light...what a great meditation for advent!

Darby Hawley said...

This is awesome Cynthia!

Bravoe Runway said...

I've always wondered the same thing, she is a virgin and yet she is pregnant. interesting.

Okeoghene said...

I love the way you put life and blood in the relationship between Mary and Joseph.Trust in God is important so is trust in one another

We love the 80ss said...

Very Cute away to put this story. I must tweet this one.

Rod and Alex - aka: "Rolex" said...

I'm lovin' this post! Definitely an angle I haven't thought about! But this relationship most certainly was there and without such a deep trust they couldn't have made it through!

Cafe Fashionista said...

What a beautiful post. Especially during this season of giving and love. :)

Liz Mays said...

I'm sure that there have times when I trusted and plenty more when I didn't. I'm in awe of the faithfulness and trust Mary and Joseph had. It's a wonderful reminder to all of us!

Earl-Leigh said...

This is such a wonderful post. :)