Friday, May 11, 2012

FOR MOM'S ON MOTHER'S DAY!



Luke 2:19 “… Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”
Luke 2:51. . . his mother treasured all these things in her heart.”
As mothers, don’t we treasure up all kinds of things about our children in our heart?  The day they were born isn’t just the beginning!  We treasure up the moment we find out we are pregnant, the ultrasounds, the baby showers, then that marvelous day they are born!  First feedings, first poopy diapers, first night at home, first night to sleep through the night, first sitting up, first foods, first time crawling, walking, talking, first day at pre-school, first day at school, and it goes on and on and on!  Isn’t it comforting to know that Mary treasured up things about Jesus as well!  As much as he was the Messiah, he was also Mary’s son that she bore, that she cared for, and that she loved so much!    

In her heart and mind she was making a mental scrapbook of the promises that were made when she became pregnant with Jesus. She made note of the angel that told her she would become pregnant with the Son of God, she took note of Joseph’s reaction, and the reaction of everyone else. She placed in her heart the long journey to Bethlehem being so pregnant.  Few of us today would even think of getting on a donkey for 5 seconds especially not going to happen if we were 9 months pregnant!  Yet she made the journey.  And then to find no room in the inn and being a part of such a humble beginning for the Prince of Peace!  But none of that mattered when she held Baby Jesus in her arms for the very first time!  As mom’s we sometimes feel insecure by God having trusted us with a small person to guide through this life, but how many more doubts could Mary have about raising the Messiah! 

Then when Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph could not find him upon coming back from a trip from Bethlehem! Think of the fright she must have had! Do you think she might have said something like this “Oh Dear God, I have lost your son!  Why did you ever chose me to be his Mother, I am so unfit!”  I felt that recently when I lost my son for 5 minutes in a large Spring Break crowd at an amusement park!  But I found him as Mary found her son and everything was alright!  

Then it was Mary who God used to jump-start Jesus into the ministry.  At a wedding when the party had run out of wine, Mary goes to Jesus and asks him to do something and Jesus’ reply is that it’s not his worry and his time has yet to come!  But Mary didn’t take that as an answer and instructed some servants to do whatever Jesus asked them to do!  Then what did Jesus do?  He made wine in a miraculous way like his mother asked and therefore started his ministry career after the prodding of his own mother!  Oh how we have to prod our children on a daily basis to do the things to get them going.  Waking up the kids in the morning is coming to mind as one of those prodding moments to get them going in the right direction! Getting them focused on homework, chores, time with the family and time with God is a lot of prodding!   Oh how God uses mothers to get His children motivated to do His work!  What a very important role God has chosen us to do!

And as much as Mary treasured up those things about Jesus, and we treasure up moments about our own children, we also treasure up the words Jesus spoke, the miracles He performed, the love he showed, and the sacrifices he made for us!  But oh how much more precious and heart breaking these things must have been to Mary!

On this Mother’s Day spend some time reflecting on the ultimate mom, Mary!  When you are feeling overwhelmed with all your duties of being a mom, take some comfort in knowing that at least you do not have to raise the Messiah!  Mary did that and she is the only one that could write a book on “Raising the Perfect Child” but it is interesting that although we may have thought it easy to raise Jesus, she did forget him in Bethlehem and took a few days to find him and she did have to  prod him into ministry!     So  take comfort in knowing that even if you believe your child to be perfect (even though he/she is not), you are not and will have some parenting difficulties based on you being imperfect! God uses mothers to help guide their children (even THE Perfect One, Jesus) and often will use us to set His plans in motion for our children!  Seek God out every day to see what it is He would have you do in the lives of your children!  How blessed we are to be called “Mom”!  



Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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