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What Was Supposed to Be

November 1, 2024 by Lindsay Gray

[Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

— Luke 2:7 (NIV)

We experience a particular grief when what we have hoped for and expect does not come to fruition. We have a sense of loss when what was supposed to be is no longer possible or has to be changed. When a life is cut short by illness, when the marriage that was supposed to lead to a close-knit, happy family dissolves, when the job that should have brought financial security and peace of mind is eliminated, our grief can feel overwhelming. 

The Christmas story is full of disappointment and grief over what was supposed to be. Mary and Joseph were expected to get married before having a child. Joseph should have been the father of Mary’s baby. The inn that should have provided Mary and Joseph a place to stay had no room, leading them to seek shelter in a drafty stable with animals for roommates. The Messiah was supposed to be a mighty ruler, not a helpless baby. Nothing in this story turns out the way we might have expected. 

And thank God! For in the disappointed expectations and unexpected turns of the story, we receive Emmanuel — a gift far greater than the one we initially sought. Wherever we go, whatever disappointments and losses we suffer, the Christ child is God’s gift of hope to the world, reminding us to let go of what was supposed to be and to embrace the miracle of God with us.


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