Sunday, December 16, 2007

A Mother's Heart


"And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:35
"But his mother treasured all these things in her heart." Luke 2:51

It's very hard, as your five year old daughter walks down the aisle -- baby Jesus in her arms, in the costume of Mary -- not to feel both the piercedness and the pondering that are never far from a mother's heart.

There's the soul pang that says, "there will come a day, when she won't get the part she's always dreamed of." There's the wonder of it all that replies, "but this is her moment - blink and it will be gone."

Mary watched her child grow up, knowing full well that one day her heart would be pierced. And yet, by God's grace, he let her watch that dear Son both in triumph and in agony -treasuring all of it in the one place these memories would always be safe: her heart.

A mother's heart breaks many times for her children: over slight injustices and colossal tragedies. May God give each enough grace to behold both the beauty and the sorrow, knowing that through it all our heavenly Father holds us not only in his merciful heart, but in his strong and protective hands.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful blend of pride, understanding and a "teachable moment", for both mother and child.