I wonder how much Mary did know as she looked down at her sleeping newborn baby.
Yes, the angel had come to her in private, making her aware of the miraculous story that would unfold through her womb, immediately encouraging her not to be afraid, and empowering her with strength and love for this unique boy child.
But actually raising this boy as his mother, parenting him through the different developmental stages until manhood, and being alone in a different undertaking than all of the other mothers around her… none of that could have been easy. There was so much she must have felt unprepared for, unqualified for. And yet, deep down, she had the acute awareness that she had been chosen by the Almighty for this special task.
Any mom can relate, even when not given the huge responsibility of parenting the Son of God.
This enormous responsibility that we’ve been entrusted with, as we raise these precious gifts given to us by God from birth until adulthood, can often seem overwhelming. We want to protect them, and we struggle for wisdom and even for answers when we encounter what may seem like stumbling blocks in our children’s lives.
I’m so thankful that God our Father, the ultimate parent, has all of the wisdom we need to parent our children well. As we walk through this crazy journey called motherhood, let’s remember the limitless supply of wisdom and grace that we can receive from our infinite Provider. And just like Mary, all we have to do is to humbly seek it.
