The story of Mary – so simple, so complex, so comforting. Mary is a mother, like so many of my readers. A mother whose heart endured a lot. Mary is just like us, yet not like us. She is the mother to our Savior, who is also her Lord.
In his gospel writings, Luke offers some beautiful insights into Mary’s personal journey as a mom. An emotional journey not unlike our journeys today.
In the darkness of the night, outside of Bethlehem, the shepherds were suddenly and gloriously notified of Jesus birth. Although they were frightened, they heeded the words “don’t be afraid: and ran to see their Messiah. Meanwhile, Mary, tending her newborn son, had created a secure and sufficient place for Jesus to sleep. Mary must have been curious as to what all this meant or maybe asked why. Yet, she responded in Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. I am willing to accept”. Am I willing to accept what the Lord has chosen for me?
When the shepherds shared how they came to know about Jesus, the listeners were astonished. But Mary. “Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often”. (Luke 2: 19) Later, Mary and Joseph ‘lost’ Jesus. Mary’s response? She stored all these things in her heart. (Luke 2: 51) The mother of Jesus gives us the real-life story of how mothers all over the world treasure the things of their children. We are given precious insights into the souls of our children – how God has made them.
When our eldest child was 18, we were reminded of an undeniable embedded character trait. As he stood on his new college campus he uttered the same words he had said before beginning Kindergarten, “I can’t wait to meet all my new friends”. Because I had ‘treasured and thought’ about these things, I was reminded again of his personality; how God had wired him just right.
I can now step into Mary’s life, and begin to understand her life. All these things that were said about Jesus. When did she recall them? Maybe at the wedding celebration when she knew she could ask him about the wine? or again when he was healing the sick, defending the unwanted? did she remember the things she had been told by the angel, the shepherds, the wise men?
Mary provides insights to the moms of yesterday, today and tomorrow. We can choose to accept. We can pay attention and treasure things in our heart. We can think about these things often. And when we do choose to accept, treasure and think, we are changed.
For the love of family,
Kristin
