One evening this past fall my children and I were walking onto the soccor field heading to practice. Across the field a mom and her daughter came walking towards us. As my son excitedly approached this young girl, I looked up and took notice of them. The mom had a huge smile on her face as she watched my son talk to her daughter who has downe syndrome. Then Lee introduces me to his friend at school. We say our goodbye's and head towards the field. I found myself making a mental note of this in my mind after witnessing his kindness. I wondered what kind of man he was going to become and what lied ahead for him. This is nothing new for moms. We all do this. We look at the things our children do or say and we wonder what it means for their future.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, wondered the same things. After the shepherds came to Bethlehem to see Jesus in the manger, they shared what the angels had spoken to them about her baby. In Luke 2:19 the Bible tells us, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Many things were spoken over Jesus by followers of God. Simeon said to Mary: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul too" (Luke 2:34). The prophetess, Anna, "spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). Many years later when Jesus was a boy, he was found in the temple "sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46). When his parents asked Jesus what he was doing there, he said, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49) Joseph and Mary did not understand what he was talking about "But his mother treasured all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51).
Just like Mary who did not completely understand everything about her son, we do not either. Although on a much smaller scale, we wonder the purpose and outcome of our children's lives. We aren't raising the Savior of the World however each of them do have a purpose that God has ordained for them. God wants us to take notice of our children and ponder them in our hearts as Mary did. It's God's way of helping us along the way. God did not leave Mary after she gave birth but continued to guide her as she raised Jesus. One of the ways was by having her take notice of things concerning him so she could tuck them away in her heart and mind until later. When Jesus was dying on the cross she felt the "sword pierce her heart" and when he rose from the dead, she understood how he was the "redemption of Jerusalem". She recalled all the things that she pondered in her heart about her child and new God had been there all along the way. In this same way, God is faithful to us in our children's life.
Blessings,
Lisa
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