Mary Did you know?

Mary did you know is traditionally seen as a song for Christmas time, but with it being Mothering Sunday (mothers day) in the UK yesterday I'd thought that today I would focus on the Mother of Christ.

Mary, Did you know?
This song never fails to make me think what joy and pain motherhood can inflict upon a woman. Mary allowed herself to have that pain inflicted upon her when she said "let it be acording to your will" in response to being told that she would bear Gods son.
I truely wonder whether she could have really understood what this entailed or indeed, whether when she was living through the tring times of her sons childhood she could understand what it all meant.

As a young girl, unmarried and being told "you have been chosen" cannot have been easy. There would have been ridicule, rumours and disowning to deal with.

One day the family had joined a pilgrimage to the temple in jerusalem. On the return home, there were a lot of people travelling together and after a full days travel, Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was "lost". What terror must have gone through her mind. I remember my little sister being lost on the beach in France when we were little. Seeing my parents fear and then their joy at being reunited with a small teary faced child, glad to be safe back in the arms of her mum. and yet when Mary found Jesus he was happily sitting in the temple discussing deep subjects with some teachers. His response is not that of a lost child. He says "did you not know I would be in my Fathers house" How Mary must have felt at that I don't know.

Later in Jesus life we see Mary, along with her son at the wedding in Canan. Here she has great faith in her son. She tells the servants "do as he tells you". Jesus then performs his first public miracle. How proud she must have been.

Then picture her seeing her son captured, tried, publically flogged and led through the streets carrying his cross. How her heart must have broken, the pain she had to bear. I can't begin to imagine that sorrow at seeing her child be placed upon a cross and to hear his cries.

Seeing Jackie, the mother of Jade Goody (UK - 27 year old reality TV star) standing at the gates of her daughters home over recent weeks, sharing what is happening as her daughter battles with ravaging cancer, it is plain to see how devastating it is to see a child dying. Jade passed away in the arly hours of the morning on Mothers Day, a week after being batized along side her sons.

Adrian Snells song "Son of the world" echo's the sentiments in the song above.

Sonof my heart where are you roaming?
I have wandered many paths in search of you
Rising with the sun as the early flowers open
You wander lonely through our country
With words I cannot understand
Son of my heart.

Son of my life I love you dearly
Love so deep I don't know how to say
I want you close to my heart and walking by me
Yet ways are strange,
your people change
Son of my life,

Son of the world I was your mother
Mine was the pain that once unlocked you to the world
And now I see a stranger held in chains and taken from me
What words remain when daylight fades
Son of the world.



Father God
We ask that you bless mothers everywhere.
You saw your own mothers pain as she saw you grow to manhood. You understand the frustrations, pains and joys that Mothers go through.
Be a comfort to mothers who suffer loss of their children through death or circumstances.
Heal relationships between mothers and children and restore the love.
Thank you for the gift of children that turn us from womanhood to motherhood. Let our children be a blessing to us and let us share your love with them.
Amen