“A Little Too Risky to Take In”

I have two teenage sons. They came home the other day and shared with me a story about their friend who is 15.

They say she is pregnant. She is going to be married. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. I’m really surprised at this news.

She has to go with him to his homeland to deal with some government paperwork. It’s a risky trip because it’s dangerous to go back there – there are thieves and others who would harm them – not to mention the coyotes and lack of water in the heat.

On top of that, they might not be able to get back into the country if she leaves.

Her boyfriend is in construction. Good guy – hard worker. They don’t have a lot of money right now so they’re going to take the trip on foot. Her family is so worried. It will be very dangerous.

Update: My sons came home and said that she texted. She made it there and they’re going to fill out the paperwork this week.

She went into labor right after they got into his homeland. None of the hotels would accept them because they had been travelling a long time and looked haggard. Their friend thought they probably looked (and smelled) a little too risky to take in.

They weren’t near a hospital so she ended up giving birth in an alley.

She and the baby are doing well though and in surprisingly good spirits. She was telling the boys how grateful she is to God for getting her this far and for her beautiful baby boy and her new husband. She said she just feels so blessed. It sounds like she is really at peace despite everything. She sent a picture too. The baby is just gorgeous!

This is the story of Mary. Or Maria. Or Miriam.

If you’re like most people, you probably made a judgment after nearly each paragraph above. Think about how each statement affected you. What judgments did you make?

If the Christ child came today – would you be happy with the judgments you made?

If you’re anything like me, you would probably like a do-over. The good news is, we have that chance! Every day, we encounter Christ in situations like these.

How will we welcome Emmanuel, Christ-with-us, in the world today?