Mary Letter Day Eleven

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers

 do not be jealous of those who do wrong. 

2 For they shall soon wither like the grass,

 and like the green grass fade away. 

3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and feed on its riches. 

4 Take delight in the Lord, 

and he shall give you your heart's desire. 

5 Commit your way to the Lord

 and put your trust in him, 

 and he will bring it to pass. 

6 He will make your righteousness 

as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. 

8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers,

the one who succeeds in evil schemes.

9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone;

do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil. 

10 For evildoers shall be cut off, 

 but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land. Psalm 37:1-11

Dear Aunt Elizabeth,

It has been quite a busy few weeks. I really thought I would be bored, having to stay at home, not being able to go into the town and to the market, but every moment we have kept beyond busy. Mama is finishing my dress for the ceremony, and between trying it on and sewing small things for the baby, we have kept very busy. We have been cooking all day, every day as well. Since we will be traveling soon, Mama is cooking and drying food like a fiend. And Papa is busy making travel arrangements, including bartering for a donkey to carry our packs and me from time to time. Joseph is here all the time and after the ceremony tomorrow, he will be able to move in with us.

Yesterday was a little overwhelming. The wise woman came and checked me out, thoroughly! I was so embarrassed as she didn't hesitate from examining me everywhere. She was gentle, I have to admit, but I was shaking the whole time. She spoke to me about how healthy the baby was, how strong I was, and that she could confirm, much to her shock, that I was indeed a virgin. Mama was in the room in the room the whole time and delighted in all the wise woman's reassurances. The hard news is that she believes I am due to deliver much sooner than we had expected. This trip will have to be hurried up so we can get home again! After she left, we had a conversation with Jospeh and Papa to share the news. They were frustrated but soon when back into planning mode. 

I hope I am up to all of this. Since never going farther away from home than your house, I hope I am not overwhelmed by all the strange people and sights. I often feel so awkward and so young, without the courage needed to deal with what lies ahead. I am worried about the pain of childbirth now, after yesterday, since the wise woman left nothing, I mean nothing out. I am so grateful for her wisdom and now completely terrified.

Much love,

Mary