I love stories retold from a different character’s viewpoint--thank you for this reimagining! I love the ordinary-ness you brought to the forefront, and the belief in love at the end: I’d never heard Mary’s “yes” phrased as a strong belief in love, and I really like that perspective. (I’d always heard it as obedience.)
At the line “How strange. Then again, everything about this idea was strange”, a core memory of mine unlocked. Growing up, my church would do a kids’ musical every Christmas, and one year we did one called “Angel Alert!” My favorite song was a lovely arrangement of “A Strange Way to Save the World”, which I later learned is a 4Him song. The musical had the angels narrate in the verses as Mary and Joseph sang the chorus as a duet, and I think the song stuck with me because I think it was the first time in my life (as a 5th/6th grader) that I saw the Christmas story described in ordinary terms, like your story today did, Shannon. I was able to find the version of the song I remember on YouTube, if children singing is up your alley: https://youtu.be/LSkHTmMjtMc?si=bJo4ahrOlD0Ltx8U
Also, the chicken photoshoot was delightful and hilariously brilliant!
A beautiful and wise reimagining of the Mary event in time for Christmas : how the ordinary and extraordinary are coupled and complement each other.
This gave me goosebumps, so beautiful as it observes and builds up to the moment!
I love stories retold from a different character’s viewpoint--thank you for this reimagining! I love the ordinary-ness you brought to the forefront, and the belief in love at the end: I’d never heard Mary’s “yes” phrased as a strong belief in love, and I really like that perspective. (I’d always heard it as obedience.)
At the line “How strange. Then again, everything about this idea was strange”, a core memory of mine unlocked. Growing up, my church would do a kids’ musical every Christmas, and one year we did one called “Angel Alert!” My favorite song was a lovely arrangement of “A Strange Way to Save the World”, which I later learned is a 4Him song. The musical had the angels narrate in the verses as Mary and Joseph sang the chorus as a duet, and I think the song stuck with me because I think it was the first time in my life (as a 5th/6th grader) that I saw the Christmas story described in ordinary terms, like your story today did, Shannon. I was able to find the version of the song I remember on YouTube, if children singing is up your alley: https://youtu.be/LSkHTmMjtMc?si=bJo4ahrOlD0Ltx8U
Also, the chicken photoshoot was delightful and hilariously brilliant!
Gorgeous. I just love your writing, and you opened layers upon layers here.
Beautiful. Great way to wake up on a Saturday and refocus on beauty of the season.
Original. Thank you, Shannon.
This is so vividly beautiful.
This was such a wonderful read and then the chickens just cracked me up. Thanks for the depth and the chuckles.