What does Christmas mean to you? I think prior to having my own children, I knew it was the birth of Christ, but I couldn’t really fathom what that meant. I couldn’t really put myself in Mary’s shoes and wonder what it was like to be in that stable that evening. The “Mary, did you know?” song was just an old-fashioned hymn to me. If you’re not familiar, here are the lyrics:
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve 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?
And when you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God
Mary did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb
Oh Mary did you know?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding
Is the Great I Am
Now I can distinctly remember the pain of labor, and the pain that is to come for me again in just a few months, and wonder what was going through Mary’s mind. Did she remember her purpose throughout each contraction? Could she really have understood the significance of her pushes? We all think our children are gifts from God, but can you imagine if your child WAS God? If you have the tissues close by, I think this version of the song by Pentatonix really drives home the point for me:
These are the things I’ll be pondering this evening as we gather together with family and friends, remembering the reason for the season and all the blessings in our lives. I want you to know that I count YOU as one of the blessings in mine. Thank you for reading this little blog, and thank you for supporting me whether I’m writing about mascara or motherhood. I love you all, and I wish the best for you this Christmas season and in the New Year!
XO,
A
