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PerseveranceSeasonal

I Wonder if Mary Had Morning Sickness

By December 8, 20113 Comments

This question occurred to me today as I listened to a Christmas song about Mary. I don’t know why I’d never thought about Mary having morning sickness, but then again, I’d never given much thought to her pregnancy at all.

Artists rarely depict Mary in her pregnancy, a reality which may explain my lack of thought on the matter. When I visualize Mary she looks a lot like the marble statues and oil paintings that populate so many cathedrals and museums. She is a neat and tidy young woman with porcelain skin, dainty features, and an angelic face. I can see her now, sitting at home with her pregnant belly, perfectly poised while she waits for her baby to arrive. Her hands are folded in her lap as she sits by the fire and gazes up into the night sky, pondering things in her heart.

It is strange that Mary is rarely remembered in her pregnancy, and NEVER in a realistic way.  Artists never portray Mary with stretch marks and a vaguely nauseous expression. But why not? It it too human? Is it too real? Is her actual experience not worthy of contemplation?

If Mary was only 14 years old, pregnancy must have been frightening. I can’t help but wonder what she was thinking as her body changed and she felt tired and sick. God had told her the “good news” of Immanuel, yet her physical circumstances were anything but good. Her out-of-wedlock belly was a scarlet letter of shame, and her body was out of control. As she dealt with morning sickness, heartburn, and fatigue, as she lost control of her body, was she confused? Was she angry? Did she feel as though her body and her health had been hijacked? Did she ever question God’s goodness? Did she ever wonder if He was really in control?

Pregnancy is a deeply intimate experience.  Those nine months constitute an incredibly personal journey for a woman, so it is remarkable to think about them through Mary’s eyes. I can’t help but wonder if she felt less like a married woman anxiously awaiting the birth of her child, and more like a teenager who, today, might wander into a crisis pregnancy center for help.

The story of Mary’s pregnancy is a compelling one. It epitomizes the spirit of Advent, the waiting in darkness with the light of hope ahead. But Mary’s story is also a powerful reminder about the nature of calling. God called Mary to something good, but she did not experience that goodness for quite some time. In fact, she bore the negative consequences on her body in the most personal way. She lost her reputation and sacrificed her body. Throughout her pregnancy, there must have been days when the call seemed anything but good.

Calling is a lot like that. Sometimes God calls us to things that are immediately difficult or even counter-intuitive. Sometimes God calls us to sacrifice our reputations for His glory. And sometimes we might experience obstacles, such as illness or financial hardship, that lead us to wonder if God really called us at all.

Pregnancy is such a powerful analogy for the hardship of calling. A mother sacrifices and labors and gives the most personal parts of herself to bring forth new life. That is what Mary did, and that is, essentially, what many of us do every day. If you find yourself in the morning sickness part of your call, or if those labor pains are becoming unbearable, remember Mary. Her sickness and her fatigue, though difficult, were also symptoms of the growing life inside of her.

3 Comments

  • Brittany says:

    Love this analogy. LOVE it. The last paragraph is my favorite – and it is so true! Thanks for the reminder.

  • Tim says:

    Great insights, Sharon. Especially because you are bringing to mind things I would not have been able to relate to without your guidance. For example: “Pregnancy is a deeply intimate experience. Those nine months constitute an incredibly personal journey for a woman … .” I’m going to have to take your word for it, not having any personal experience of course. It’s something us guys might get intellectually but you bring it home for us.

    I really appreciate that you made all this so relatable with these questions: “… was she confused? Was she angry? Did she feel as though her body and her health had been hijacked? Did she ever question God’s goodness? Did she ever wonder if He was really in control?” These are questions we can all understand, women and men, young and old. And I hate to say it, but you’d get a yes answer from me at times when I’m dealing with the things God is taking me through. The good news, though, is that it is God who is taking me through these things. I just forget sometimes.

    You know what I really want to do? To be able to say along with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Lk. 1:38.) To say that and mean it all the time, that would be awesome.

    Tim

  • Samantha says:

    Sharon, I absolutely LOVE this post! I have recently been having some “morning sickness” in my life as I just discovered that I most likely have a disorder that will either prohibit or greatly hinder my ability to have children. As a woman who feels called to work with children and is about to get married and start her own family, this was a big blow. I plan on children being a huge part of my life through my/God’s ministry and wanted several of my own. Of course, adoption is an option (one that I was considering already but in addition to my biological children), but like you said, nothing can beat the journey of carrying your own child; a journey I may have to live without. However, I know God is in control and everything will work out. (although that’s easier said than fully believed at times) Thanks for writing this post and giving me new perspective 🙂

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