What did Mary know?

“And Mary said:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.
His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has done a mighty deed with His arm;
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
He has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
mindful of His mercy,
just as He spoke to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants forever (Luke 2:46-55 HCS).”

Mary knew God, her Savior.

NEWBORN BABIES

BRING OUT MY MATERNAL INSTINCTS.

        {Image by David Woodall}

Did it begin with baby dolls dressed in flannel gowns & matching booties or starched dresses under the Christmas tree ? The new doll smell drifted up to my nose as I quickly named them. I played mommy; the make-believe feeding, dressing, and rocking baby dolls came naturally.

Each year Mom & Dad added childcare essentials, placing dolls in toy baby strollers, cribs or high chairs under our Christmas tree. They were too big to wrap but that afforded me the added pleasure of seeing them at first glance. Mom lovingly displayed my dolls under drooping light-decked branches.

Playing dolls prepared me for real-life babysitting jobs. I was caring for newborns by the early age of eleven, quickly bonding with the bundles of joy. Infants were dependent on me and gave unconditional love. Holding a contented baby in my arms made the hours of clock watching worthwhile.

Baby Jesus grew to sacrificial lamb, willingly giving His life that we might receive everlasting life. Christmas led down the path to Calvary. We open Christmas packages in both celebration of His birth and resurrection. Grieving followers discovered His open and empty tomb. Jesus lives and waits to wrap us in His blanket of grace.

“But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6 NAS).”