“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” Luke 2:6-7
Have you ever said something like that?
I know I have.
“While you’re there, can you pick up some batteries?”
Life often feels like that—one event leading into another, sometimes twisting and turning along the way.
I remember driving my old 12-passenger green van—filled with car seats, the smell of sports equipment, sticky juice box spills on the floor, and papers scattered everywhere. My life seemed to revolve around that one phrase, “while you are there”—running errands, picking up kids, dropping them off, getting this at the store, and grabbing that child from practice. Raising six kids, plus friends’ kids, meant a never-ending whirlwind of “while you are there.”
Mary’s life wasn’t much different, though it certainly should have been. After all, she was carrying the King of kings, the Savior who would change the world—the one the angels sang about and the shepherds watched over. Her task was extraordinary, yet it happened in the midst of the ordinary.
As the Bible says, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Luke 2:1 NIV.
This decree required people to register in their ancestral hometown, and since Joseph was a descendant of King David, Bethlehem was his ancestral city. Mary and Joseph had to travel there to fulfill the census requirement. And while they were there, Mary’s baby would be born.
There’s no indication that an angel appeared to Mary again during this journey. The angel had already told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:29-33 NIV)
No angel appeared to give Mary travel advice or reassurance about her delivery. No angel comforted her with promises of safe passage, food, or the perfect place to give birth. Mary was alone in the journey, with only her faith in the One who had chosen her to carry the Savior.
In that moment, Mary’s life echoed a simple yet profound truth: she trusted in the One who had chosen her. Every day, she lived out her purpose, trusting that God would guide her through the unknown.
I remember being that mom in the green van—feeling anxious about the future, worried about what might come next, yet trying to follow God and teach my children to do the same. Over time, I’ve come to understand that trusting in God is not about knowing all the details or having a clear map of the future. It’s about walking step by step, knowing that He is with us.
Mary didn’t know exactly how everything would unfold, but she walked in trust. Just as she carried the Savior with her, we must walk through life, knowing God is with us. We don’t always get a roadmap, but we get the promise of His presence.
“While they were there”—living life on Earth—Mary continued to live the life God had chosen for her. A life filled with purpose. The same life we are all called to live.
The world will try to pull us in many directions, but no matter what you are facing, remember: while you are there—live out the message of Who God is, and through your life, bring joy to the world.
