I’m sitting here by my Christmas tree, scrolling through Facebook and looking at everyone’s wonderful pictures and posts about what a wonderful Christmas day they’ve had with their families. Then I came across one post that really struck a chord with me. My friend Lori posted a picture of the home she and her husband Todd, lost in a fire a few months ago.

Lori has said time and time again, how “things don’t matter, people do” and how truly blessed they were to have just gotten out safe and unharmed, but I suspect days like today make it especially hard to feel that way. And why shouldn’t it? When these things big life tests happen to us, surely they don’t happen without a reason behind them. And it’s got to be not only a test of our strength but of our faith as well.

So what is the meaning behind it all? How can we keep the faith during the tough times and not lose hope? I got to thinking about this yesterday when I was in church. The Virgin Mary didn’t exactly have a baby in her immediate plans when the angel approached her. For Mary, this was an “unplanned pregnancy” and she may have had other things in mind she would have liked to do. But she didn’t complain and there was no meltdown when the angel told her the caveat: Son of God. Woah!

They say the shepherds were “terrified” when they heard the news from the heavenly host. But Mary? She just listened. She adapted, she looked within and she drew on her faith. She had been chosen. “Someone” felt she could handle the responsibility of such a big life change.

So when times get really tough and we are faced with the questions like, “why me”, or “how can I do this”? Think of young Mary, and that tiny baby she went on quite a journey to have. How it would have been so easy to say, “why me?” or “how can I go on”, but she followed the light and the light showed her the way. And the light was GOOD.