“She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.” Luke 2:7

As I listened to this familiar story, something struck me; I had never seen it before. Mary and Joseph used what they had, what God provided.

Mary and Joseph were being obedient to the law, and had left their home so that Joseph could take part in the census. The baby came at an inconvenient time. Mary and Joseph were traveling. There wasn’t a place to stay. They were to stay in a barn (or most likely a cave where the animals were kept).

In case you haven’t been to a place were animals stay, it isn’t a serene, sanitary place.  The animals make their animal noises and take care of bodily functions whenever, and wherever.  I don’t know about you, but I like things a bit more planned, predictable and let’s just be honest, done a bit more perfectly.  But nothing of this story was predictable yet it was perfect.  Mary and Joseph had already  faced a masterful dilemma which called for an all-in decision to believe. This next step called for complete trust, dependence, and humility in this God-provided inconvenience.

When God calls, it isn’t based on our convenience; it requires humility,  insists on dependence, not our independence. And this in turn, requires us to think out of the box, fully trusting His provision.  And that is what Mary did.  She had to depend on God’s provision; she found strips of cloth to wrap the baby. We infer from scripture that Joseph was probably a carpenter; given the circumstances he didn’t have time to make a cradle!  So again, they used what they had….a feeding trough…or the prettier word, a manger.

The holidays are over, and we are transitioning back into the regular routine of our lives. Let’s be diligent, remembering we are called for God’s purpose. Let’s look around, be creative, and use what we have.

Remember these three things:

1. Be humble in your present circumstances. A prideful spirit probably wouldn’t be inclined to giving birth in a barn among animals, and using a feeding trough for a newborn.

2. Thank God for what he has provided. We don’t know where Mary found the cloth that was ripped into strips. She may have had to use her own clothing, or a riding blanket. But she had what she needed.

3. There is a bigger story. A story for life and blessings beyond the inconvenience.