There is something about having a baby close to Christmas that seems to give clarity and added insight into the familiar Christmas story. I distinctly remember being in church one Sunday during my pregnancy with Madison. It was the day after my due date, and I was rather emotional--as most post date pregnant women become. I was sitting on the second row, and a close friend of mine was giving the talk. I don't remember everything about her talk, but I do remember a few words she spoke about Mary, the mother of Christ. She discussed the young mother, and the hardships she faced as she traveled so many miles at the end of her own difficult pregnancy. That day, as I sat in church and contemplated Mary's struggles, it put my own struggles and suffering into perspective. I couldn't help but weep as I considered the common thread that all mothers share. For the special musical number that day, the relief society sisters sang and signed the words to the beloved Christmas Hymn "Silent Night". As I attempted to sing those words, the tears came again.
Silent night, holy night.
All is calm. All is bright.
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
The image of the innocent and yound Mary, finally holding that precious little child, gave me hope and courage to endure the final days of my own pregnancy. It also made the moment of seeing my new baby girl so sweet and so fulfilling. We brought her home from the hospital on Christmas Eve night, the best Christmas present we could have ever asked for.
Now, again, I have had the privilege of having another baby near the Christmas season. This time, a special baby boy. As Mason was born a month before Christmas, his birth caused me to reflect more on Mary as a young mother rather than Mary during her journey to and her first nights in Bethlehem. One day, as I was listending to a holiday CD, the words of the song touched my heart and gave voice to the feelings I had been having about my new little one.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?
Did Mary know and understand the importance of that little babe she rocked? Did it change the way she treated him? Was she kinder? More patient? More loving? It is my opinion that she was. She raised the very Son of God, the Savior of the World. It made me wonder, who is it that I am raising? And how does the knowledge that my own children are an inheritance from the Lord affect what kind of mother I am? Perhaps my days would go better if I asked myself these questions every morning before facing the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment