Thankful Thursday

Do you think Mary had a clue about the Child she held in her arms?

We’re going to shift a bit on this Christmas Eve and take a moment to reflect.

If you’re a mother, you know the depth of this question. If you’re a Christ-follower, you have some sense of the depth of where it may have taken Mary thirty-three years forward of this moment in the stable.

When we take that first glance at our newborns, it’s like no other moment in time. I’ve always wanted a ‘freeze frame’ that would last at least until they started school. I would start with fondling their fingers and toes as I gently unwrapped the receiving blanket.

Mary’s Child didn’t have a receiving blanket. He didn’t have a crib. There were no attending nurses to check up on His progress post partum. The surroundings were less than acceptable for a King. Yet, there He was — in the lowliest of places — insignificantly entering the world.

Shepherds in nearby fields came to get a glimpse of the newborn. There were no stuffed animals or baby rattles. But there were live animals and local people stopping by to pay their respects.

By the time He was walking, there appeared a caravan of men of royal importance bringing Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Odd and unusual gifts to bring to a child — do you think Mary knew then?

• Do you think that Mary tried extra hard to prevent Him from injuries and falls?
• Could Mary have been overprotective when she had other children and her family was growing?
• Were the words spoken by the Angel Gabriel swirling around in her mind as her Child learned how to talk, run, read, write … as He picked up a hammer and nails to help with his father’s business?
• Did her heart flutter when she realized that He could reason and speak openly about the Scriptures and the prophets and that she had to look upward to see those same eyes she gazed upon in the stable?

On this night, I am thankful for Mary’s faithfulness. She did not hesitate to say ‘yes’ to her GOD. And while she didn’t know that He Who breathed life into her would eventually leave her breathless, she did know that to be sincerely available to the Lord when He called her would be the best decision she could make.

Thank you, Mary, for walking in faith — for being such a beautiful example of not knowing but still going.

I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~~

LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary