Hold On to the Promises

Mary, the mother of Jesus.

You gotta hand it to the girl.  God knew what he was doing when he chose her to birth the King of Creation into human form.

There’s a lot we can take away from her experience.  Think about what it would be like being torn between mothering and worshipping her Son.  Raising a sinless child in the midst of your own sin.  Being mocked, gossiped about, and even shunned by ignorant friends and family.

One thing I really appreciate about Mary is that she had the perfect response when the angel came and told her she was going to birth the Christ child:

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Notice she didn’t ask, “how can this be” or, “umm…are you sure?”  When the angel explained to her how it would come about, she answered, “I am the Lord’s servant”, “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Mary understood God’s promises.  She knew that he would keep his word and that he would take care of her.  She just needed to focus on serving him by obeying him, step by step.

I try to remember her example when I’m faced with something that seems overwhelming or unbelievable, or something that is not in my plan.  Rather than being blindsided and freaking out, I try to ask God, “how will this happen“—what steps do I need to take?  What should I expect?  How should I prepare?

Speaking of promises, I’ve got an easy project you can create for yourself or for a gift.  Full credit for this idea goes to my mom.  Thanks, Mom!

Promise Tea

For this project, you will need a box of tea bags, a cutting tool, some pretty paper and embellishments to decorate the outside of your box, a glue stick, and some tea bag tags.  I’ve pinned a few on my Pretty Papers Pinterest board to get you started.

This is how I decorated my box.  As you can see, I didn’t cut the front paper large enough to cover the yellow of the box underneath, but you get the idea.

Next, remove the tea tag from the string and attach the new one.

You can print or write a verse on the tag so that each time a tea bag is used, the person is reminded of one of God’s promises.  This would be a great idea to give to someone along with a journal.  She can take tea while studying the verse and journalling her thoughts.

Mary knew God’s promises and trusted that he’d show her the way, step by step.  I encourage you, as well, to hold on to the promises God’s given in his word.  

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” ~Matthew 6:25