Mary Was A MomSample

My husband and I along with our many kiddos climbed into the car, heading home from church.  A little before we completed the three mile trip, one of them asks, “Hey, where is the baby?”  Yes.  We had left our baby, Katie, sleeping soundly in the church nursery.  Quickly, we turned around to go back after her, feeling like lousy, irresponsible parents. From then on, my husband did a head count every time before we drove away. Mary and Joseph lost Jesus when he was twelve. To observe Passover at the Temple in Jerusalem, the family traveled, most likely, with a large group of people from Nazareth. This walking route is about 120 miles, taking several days. After the festivities, when they started for home, it took them two days to discover Jesus wasn’t with his friends or with other families. I’m sure they were frantic as they turned around to look for him. Don’t you know they asked every person they saw, giving his description, hoping for good news? Three days later they find Him! He is sitting with the Temple leaders asking questions, oblivious to His parents’ concerns. “Son,” his mother says to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” It's a question we all ask, “Why have you done this to me ?” We react by deflecting blame onto others, not wanting to carry the guilt of our own weaknesses. Jesus responds to Mary, “Don’t you know I’m about my Father’s business?”  And Mary stores this in her heart—she ponders and treasures again. She will need these thoughts and memories later because there is another time Mary loses Jesus. She is with Him as He is carrying a heavy wooden cross up a hill. He isn’t deflecting or asking wrong questions. This Son who has no guilt is carrying my blame and guilt on His bent shoulders. His mother stands by in grief and watches through tears as her firstborn willingly gives Himself for her, for me, and for you, as he is nailed to that cross. And as He hangs his head and dies, I’m sure Mary believes her heart will break. She has lost him again. He is gone. It is finished. But we know this isn’t the end! Once again, after he'd been lost to her for three days the news rings out, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Imagine the joy, the amazement, the reminders of all she has treasured in her heart when she hears that He is not gone. All the years she watched her Son who was fully human, and fully Divine, struggle with and always choose love, joy, peace, and patience—all the difficult, right decisions for righteousness. Deep inside, she remembered, she knew. Like Mary, we can know, trust and believe that the course we have set for our children will end with victory! He holds them, He loves them, and He makes a way when there seems to be no way. He is risen! Do you believe it? Are you living it? May His joy rise in your heart during this season and forever as you place your heart, your life, and your children into His loving, wise, nail-scarred hands.You, or they, are not lost, but found!