a Mommy's heart

Mother's Day Sunday, May 10, 2015 (6:56 a.m.)

Holiest God,

Thank You. You made me a mom. Long before You gave me children of our own, You provided me a Mommy's heart. Thank You.

I don't really know where to go from here. Mm. Mary. Yes. Our ultimate example of motherhood. The “blessed by God above all other women” (Luke 1:42b).

Blessed Father, how I thank You for this opportunity to reflect on Jesus' mother. A “young virgin named Mary” (v. 27). “Confused and disturbed” (29) while trying to make sense of what the angel Gabriel was telling her.

And fundamentally obedient as shown in verse 38. “Mary responded, 'I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever He wants. May everything you have said come true.'” Talk about trust!

Praise You Father for the example we have of a young woman believing, trusting. Willing to obey. My own mommy heart far too often gets in the way of Your best. Forgive my falterings.

The shepherds took the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth straight to Bethlehem. “They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph” (Luke 2:16) and “told everyone what had happened” (v. 17). “All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished” (18).

And here comes the prime “wait for it” moment... “but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often” (19). Oh, to have a Mommy's heart like Mary's!

The Life Recovery Bible comment tells us that “painful thoughts of a guilt-ridden past or uncertain future often intrude and disrupt the present and sometimes cause us to feel depressed.” Mary's example “shows us how thoughts about God can lift our spirits and give us the courage to take the next step.”

Thank You Father that she knew the importance of contemplating the things You were “doing and wanted to do in her life.” Because of the example of Mary's mommy heart we can find solace in “pondering the joy with the sorrow, the awesome with the awful, the gain with the pain” as You lead us “to emotional and spiritual healing.”

On this particular Mother's Day, Blessed Father, how I thank You for giving us Mary, Jesus, Your perfect love, the Holy Spirit. Empower and enable me to use them to Your good and to Your glory. I love You. I long to serve You. And I thank You for Your gift of this mommy's heart. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(411 words ~ 8:16 a.m.)