Mary, Towels, and Mom

I always fine myself thinking of my late Mom this time of year.  It is not just that Christmas is coming but also that her birthday is in December (December 12 to be exact).    I remember a time when I was a teenager when Christmas was near and Mom was cleaning the house for company coming for a visit.  As was often the case,  I had to use our one bathroom while Mom was mopping.  Once she was finished mopping the bathroom floor, I waited for the bathroom floor to dry.  As I went into the bathroom, Mom told me:  “Don’t use the hand towel by the sink.”  I was puzzled by the request as Mom always taught us to wash our hands after visiting the bathroom, so I asked,  “Why don’t  you want me to use the towels?   You always tell me to wash my hands.”    Mom replied,  “Randy, don’t use the towels because they are show towels for our guests who are coming.”   I thought about that admonition of my Mom the other day.   Hand towels have a purpose.  Why, they are to be used to dry our hands.   Just as cars are to be driven and rode in and beds are made to be slept in, towels have a purpose to dry our hands.    I thought about those “show towels” as I recently read Luke’s story about Mary.   In Luke 1, we hear the story of an angel telling a young virgin named Mary that she is going to have a baby.  An unwed pregnant woman was scandalous news in the days of Mary.  Hear from Luke 1 the response of Mary: 

²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,  ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary  ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.  ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  ³⁶ And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.   ³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible.  ³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Mary did not want to be  a “show towel”.   Despite the fact that it was scandalous to the community and not the best circumstances to be pregnant, she wanted to fulfull a purpose  to be used by God.     Do we want to be used by God?    Have a blessed day and week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O Lord,  who has come and is coming:   use us for your purposes as you used Mary long ago.  Hear our prayer;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.