Let me introduce someone who may look familiar
Her name may be Hannah, Esther, Sarah, Ruth, Rebecca
Leah, Tamar, Abigail, Mary or Martha
Look closer, have you seen her in your mirror?
Bullied, and unfortunately there was more
Childless, scorned, disappointed, forgotten and distressed to the core
Pregnant with possibilities but mourning clothes she wore
In desperation, Hannah cried out to God, then a great prophet, Samuel she bore
Esther was an orphan who dared not dream of grandeur
Stolen from her uncle, by a Persian king she was taken prisoner
In humility she embraced her situation
Became queen, and risking her life, she saved her nation
What can we say of Sarah? A great woman to be sure
Living with failure, regret and inferiority until the promised son she bore
Mother of a great nation, she was wise and shrewd
Her laughter before the Angel was somewhat misconstrued (wouldn’t you laugh if God told you that you would be pregnant in your nineties too!)
Grief, sorrow, poverty, and abandonment are all well known
Leaving family and home this woman followed another poor widow home
Committed beyond comprehension, Ruth obeyed a few simple instructions
And landed Boaz, a man of means and godly intentions
Quiet, timid, shy, the older sister with gentle, weak eyes
Her father married her to Jacob through deceit, tricky and lies
Unwanted by man, favored of God, Leah was His divine choice to be the mother of the greatest Ruler
And bore the father of the Son called Lion of the tribe of Judah
Rejected, abandoned, scored and despised
A barren widow not only once but twice
To secure her future, she used wisdom, cunning and craft
God saw Tamar’s tenacity and gave her a double portion in twin boys at last
A beautiful woman with stature, grace and dignity
Married to a man without much depth or clarity
Thoughtful, strategic and wise, she was a most dutiful wife
Abigail negotiated with the king, averted strife, and saved her life
It was the night before the dawn like any other
When a young girl awoke with her mother
They quietly dressed and began their daily chore
Knowing what the day held and expecting nothing more
Off to the well with a vessel on her head
Then to the market to buy fish, meat and perhaps bread
Silently they worked speaking not one word
Repeating the same prayer that only God heard:
“I will bless the Lord at all times
His praise shall continually be in my mouth
We wait for Your promised deliverer
Our King and Messiah”
Their day continued as it usually did
Cleaning, cooking, nothing new, nothing hid
An ordinary day in an ordinary life
Oh God, she thought, “I’m so excited to become Joseph’s wife”
She continued her chores with delight and contentment
Thinking about her marriage engagement
When a voice whispered her name close to her ear
“Mary” she turned around but found no one there
She heard her name again and again she looked
Then a third time and suddenly there appeared a shepherd holding a shepherd’s hook
His face glowed in the sun and his voice was gentle and warm
But there were no pastures nearby and a shepherd there was not the norm
She rubbed her eyes then opened them again
To see the shepherd walking forward, is this a game?
She stood still waiting then began to nervously pace
As the shepherd approached, her heart began to race
“Do not be afraid Mary” the angelic shepherd quietly spoke
“Rejoice, blessed are you among women” he said
“You shall conceive and bear a son” there is no need for dread
Mary, Mary, Mary, a simple and humble young lady
Highly favored of God, exalted of women and chosen to carry His baby
Books, songs, and movies are dedicated in her honor
She now bows to this baby, GOD, clothe in splendor and all power
Who could forget, another Mary and her big sister Martha
One calm and quiet choosing to sit at the feet of the master
The older, busy, practical, take charge and bold
They were Jesus’ friends and saw the resurrection of the dead unfold
There are many more women, stories already told and many yet to be written
Living lives, often in the valley of the shadow and usually hidden
Ordinary women, like you and me
Made extraordinary by God for the world to see
W. A. Vega