I'm so glad I'm not the only one...

who sees the deep messiness of the Christmas story.
It wasn't neat or clean or quiet or simple.
It was bloody and sticky and painful and unstoppable.
It was the birth of the promised one, the savior, the messiah, yes.
But it was also the birth of a baby - mother, father, baby.
A serious mess. A seriously beautiful mess. A beautiful, messy, miraculous moment.

Please go read this account. I could not have written it better.
And then bookmark this page and go read more of her writing.
I like what she says and I like how she says it.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks about Christmas from the perspective of the mother, in labor, pushing, howling, wishing it would stop, even though you know it won't and it can't.

Sweet Mother Mary - once again, you show up as my model, my heroine, my sister-friend.
Blessed art thou, indeed.