Well Thanksgiving has come and gone, much too quickly as usual. I pray everyone enjoyed the holiday with family, friends and lots of good food. We attended a big gathering with my husbands family which reminded me of the gatherings my family had when I was young. I miss those times and wish our family got together like that more often.
As we approach the Christmas holiday, I have to address something which has been haunting the recesses of my mind for months now. Ever since my eldest son joined the marines last January I have been struggling with thoughts of his mortality. I know, morbid right? But I can't keep my realist, logical brain from going there. We all cope differently and my way of coping is to mentally prepare for all possible scenarios. That being said, let's face it, we are a country at war, in a violent and turbulent time.
I am happy to say that for now, my son is safe in school, on a naval base in Florida. He's spending his free time fishing and playing video games...for now. Unfortunately, there are many mothers who do not have that comfort and my heart and prayers go out daily to each one of them. Let me also say that I am as proud and grateful to my son for his decision to serve as any military mother ever has been! I have already seen how the Corps has taken the man child I raised and is turning him into a polished, well rounded young man. However, I look at his pictures and still see my baby boy.
Which brings me to Mary, a young mother, who lost her son in service to the entire world, for generations and generations to come. WOW! I can't imagine what it must have been like to be the mother of the Messiah. To bear that precious baby boy, to love him and raise him. To watch him grow in grace, to see the light of God shine through his eyes. WOW!
I was recently asked to sing the song "Mary Did You Know" for our church's annual Christmas play. The words of the song take you to that fateful night and make you wonder, how much did Mary know about what lay ahead for her little lamb. Did she know he would make the lame walk and cause the blind to see? Did she know that he would turn water to wine, calm storms with a wave of his hand, call the dead to rise and walk? Could she possibly have understood that the small child she had delivered, had actually come to deliver her, and me, and you? When she looked into the eyes of her baby boy, did she see a savior?
Oh Mary, did you know?
