Nothing But God's Promises to Protect Me

Amanda Lawrence shares a gift from God that keeps giving.

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

Long ago, the Roman Emperor Augustus took a census of the entire Roman world. The new law mandated people to return to their ancestral town and register for taxation. Saint Joseph’s family came from Bethlehem, so he and his fiancée, Mary, returned there.

Mary was expecting a child through the Holy Spirit. The couple packed clothes, food, and water. They loaded their donkey with supplies and began the long journey. Because many traveled to Bethlehem to register for the emperor’s census, it was loud and crowded when they arrived.

Joseph couldn’t find a place for himself and Mary to spend the night. No rooms were available anywhere. He led the very pregnant Mary atop their donkey through the streets of Bethlehem, searching for somewhere to go.

The couple discovered the last inn was full after knocking on its door. Desperate, Joseph brought Mary to a nearby stable, where he made a soft bed of hay for her. The family rested briefly before the time came for Mary to give birth. Joseph filled a wooden manger with soft straw and made a bed for the baby.

Mary wrapped Jesus in cloth and placed him in the cradle to sleep.

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It wasn’t until my son was born homeless that I truly understood the significance of that Gospel story. It wasn’t until I left the hospital with an infant and nowhere stable to go that I comprehended Mary’s mindset. She was a young girl on the verge of motherhood with nothing but God’s promises to depend on.

When others encourage people to “be like Mary” and give God their “yes,” that’s seldom the scenario they envision. It’s certainly not a lifestyle for everyone! But it’s what God gave me. His gift brought me so much closer to Him through Mary.

Like Mary, I gave God my “yes” as a toddler before I understood the magnitude of what that meant. Like her, I walked blindly ahead with nothing but God’s promises to protect me. I’m the first to admit that kind of trust is terrifying.

The thing is, God never let me down. All my confidence in His Will has paid off.

I now recognize that He wasn’t just testing me and my faith. He was assessing the souls of those around me. Some people helped, some looked away, while others stole my opportunities for improvement simply because they could. I pray for them all equally.

Through my struggles, God allowed me the space to earn two degrees. He led me to my apartment, where my son and I have spent the last twelve years comfortably sheltered. It isn’t a permanent solution, though. I’m petrified of being homeless again. That anxiety won’t ever go away. And since it isn’t something many people can relate to, it’s a lonely fear.

So I turn to Mary.

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God wasn’t just testing me and my faith. He was assessing the souls of those around me. #CatholicMom

Memories of my own unsheltered experiences always remind me of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in that manger in Bethlehem. Meditating on that Gospel story allows me to empathize with people struggling through homelessness and hard times today.

While it may not be ideal to help the people we disagree with or disapprove of, God expects it of us when we give Him our “yes.” It’s important to remember that while assisting those less fortunate, whether their unsheltered migrant families or local community members. Have mercy on them, not just during Christmas but throughout the coming New Year.

After all, the Holy Family can relate to their struggles. They were once unsheltered refugees, too, when they fled to Egypt in the dead of night to escape Herod’s wrath (Matthew 2:14).

May God bless you and yours with charitable graces now and throughout this coming year, future saints! Be assured of my prayers for your success. Perhaps you’ll pray for mine, too!

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