Mary Letter Day Seventeen

1 The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;

he has called the earth from the rising 

of the sun to its setting. 

2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,

God reveals himself in glory.

3 Our God will come and

will not keep silence; 

before him there is a consuming flame,

and round about him a raging storm. 

4 He calls the heavens 

and the earth from above

to witness the judgment of his people. 

5 "Gather before me my loyal followers,

those who have made a covenant with me

and sealed it with sacrifice." 

6 Let the heavens declare 

the rightness of his cause;

for God himself is judge.

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak: 

"O Israel, I will bear witness against you;

for I am God, your God. 

8 I do not accuse you 

because of your sacrifices; 

your offerings are always before me. 

9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,

nor he-goats out of your pens; 

10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, 

the herds in their thousands upon the hills. 

11 I know every bird in the sky,

and the creatures of the fields are in my sight. Psalm 50:1-11

Dear Auntie Elizabeth,

Thank you for understanding that I cannot tell Mama and Papa about the hard times on this journey. They have worried so much about me, had to defend me when I was still home and fought off attacks from neighbors and folks who used to be friends. I'm not sure their hearts can much more. I am grateful for your love and support in these strange times.

The road to Bethlehem has been crowded, even at night. We have made slow progress, since both riding and walking are more and more difficult every day. Joseph and I recite the psalms of king David as we walk, and sometimes we sing, just to keep our spirits up. People often get angry with our slow progress and push past us in the dark. Last night I fell again, since a few young men were almost running and side swiped us as they went. Others on the road helped me up and Joseph had me sit on a big rock by the side of the road until I got my breath and wits back. We had hoped to be in Bethlehem tomorrow, but our hosts, Naomi and Samuel are insistent we stay longer. They saw how rattled I was, and they are almost as worried as my parents. Naomi is convinced that the baby is coming soon, much sooner than we hoped or planned. I am so hoping she is wrong, and I fear she is right. The little one seems to be riding much lower than before and I have a lot of pressure on my hips. I just want to get home to Mama before it happens!

Love,

Mary