How Parenthood Changed Christmas

Ever since I became a parent Christmas has changed for me.   Aside from the obvious of watching the magic of Christmas through my children's eyes parenthood has changed how I view Mary, Joseph and their roles in Jesus' arrival.

As a woman who has been very pregnant (my son was born at 41wks, 1 days and my daugter was born at 39 wks, 6 days) I can imagine how uncomfortable Mary was on the donkey as she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem. 

In my experience one of the privleges that comes with being pregnant is the way people went out of their way to extend courtesies such as givng me their seat in a crowded restaurant lobby.  Mary and Joseph apparently couldn't find someone who would give up a room for them (I'm guessing this might be because they were unmarried??).  We know they were travelling for the census so I'm guessing there must been other family members with them.  None of them were willing to let Mary and Joseph stay with them?  Was their family shunning them, not believing Joseph & Mary when they said Mary was a virgin?

I was fortunate enough to give birth in the age of the epidural (props to you who have done the natural childbirth thing, the closest I got was refusing induction twice and narrowly avoiding a c-section with my first) , but I can only imagine how scary it must've been for these first time parents as Mary gave birth in a dirty barn. Mary didn't have caring nurses wrapping her baby in clean blankets in a clean room, she had to make do with what she had available. We're not told if these young parents had anyone else with them, assisting in Jesus' birth

One of my favorite Christmas songs is Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) where Amy Grant puts herself in Mary's shoes.  In recent years MercyMe has recorded their own song from Joseph's perspective.  Songs like these and Mary, Did You Know? show that I'm not the first one to wonder what it was like for the two who were entrusted with raising Jesus.

Every parent I know is overwhelmed by their responsibilities, especially with their first, but how much more did Joseph & Mary feel knowing they were raising the Son of God?

We know Jesus never sinned (can I say I'm jealous Mary never had to deal with the "terrible twos"?), but what kind of baby was he? What would it have been like to raise this child knowing who He was?  Did they feel (even more) pressure than other parents to raise him correctly?

I know we don't know anything about Joseph after Jesus was at the temple when he was 12.  As a mom I can't even begin to fathom how horribly heart wrenching it must've been for Mary to watch Jesus be crucified.

Now that I'm a parent I can't help but look at a nativity scene and wonder about the young couple who wrapped their baby in swaddling clothes that night in Bethlehem.