Since Day One

​Have you ever considered what it was like to be the mother of Jesus? Imagine, being told you’re going to carry God’s son!? Had to raise Gods son!?
 
Let’s think about Mary’s pregnancy… Was is a miraculous pregnancy? 
 
Did he ever give Mary heartburn? Morning sickness? Did she have Braxton Hicks? Did Mary have mood swings and food cravings?

I can’t help to think what if Mary struggled to carry like so many of us woman experience in pregnancy too.  ​

...Let’s think about her birth… Was it a miraculous birth?
 
Did Mary have a smooth and quick delivery? Or did labour last hours and drag on in pain? 
 
Is it true in the song “Away in the Manger” that “no crying he makes?” Did Jesus really not cry, because I remember that first day with my babies; my kids were no Jesus babies then!
 
Let’s think about baby Jesus…Was Jesus an angel baby?
 
Was he colicky, need to be rocked to sleep, did he nurse well, did he go through teething pain? 
 
Did he meet his milestones? Did he walk early…I mean eventually he walked on water so...?
 
But seriously…did Jesus SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT?!
 
Let’s think about toddler years…Was Jesus an extraordinary toddler? I mean he was God…
 
Or did he throw tantrums, ask for the stone plate and not the wood one, cry when his loaf of bread was cut in half and say it was broken and wouldn’t eat it, or wake up Mary at 5am every day and then sleep in on days she needed to get going?
 
Let’s think about teenage years… Was he an extraordinary teenager?
 
Did Jesus have zits and go through a phase of hating his parents?
 
By teenage years, as Mary, knowing full well her son was God’s son…wouldn’t she have had high expectations? Expect her child to do miracles as an infant but really, he’s not done much with his life, but she’s still raising him, waiting for him to shine; for his “God moment”.
 
He becomes of age and decides to become a carpenter… like what are you doing Jesus? Son? God? 
 
A carpenter? 
 
As momma Mary, I’d be encouraging my son like “Don’t you think you want to focus on biblical studies, preaching, working at the temple…I don’t know…something Godly?” 
 
I couldn’t imagine raising a child that is GOD and yet not know when or how he’s going start being, well… God.
 
I may not be raising Gods son… I can promise you that my sons are NO angels Haha! But I can identify in that waiting season raising children; the desire to see greatness in your child, the anticipation, the knowing your child was meant and called for something great, yet the longing and waiting as you raise them before that is revealed. 
 
The desire as a mother to train boys into men, boys into fathers, into men of great faith, into respectful men and more. 
 
The desire to see and witness everything they’ve been called to do and be to come to fruition. 
 
To be their biggest supporters and believers in WHO they are...
 
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.  John 2:1-11

Mary knew the greatness in her child, knew his strengths, knew his abilities, knew that this was his moment. Did she know going to that wedding that 'today was the day for his moment?' No. But she knew who her Son was and that he was the one to come into his calling in this moment. 

She was his biggest supporter and first believer in who he was as Gods son. 

She pushed him, even when he said, “why do you involve me?” 

She motherly loved him enough, believed him enough to push him and steer him in the right direction of his calling. 

A reminder, at 30 ish years of age…

Oh, to have that motherly wisdom and patience to wait upon Gods timing within our own kids’ moment to shine. 

These days are long, and your stuck in that can’t sleep through the night, tantrums and or frustrating teenage years and praying so hard that you’re doing something right!?
Instilling enough experience, wisdom, creative outlet, physical outlet, socialization, etc. to provide your kids with the right skill sets that God can use in them. 

Praying incessantly that you’re making the right decisions and that God would use these little people in your life in such a big and impactful way. 

Mary’s motherly character can teach us so much. Just as Mary was the first to hear Gods plans in raising His son, the first believer in Jesus and who He was, we too are the first believers in each of our kids. 

We are their first and biggest supporters; we are THEIR mom! 

What a privilege to walk alongside these precious gifts and see God’s plans unfold in their lives. What a privilege to come alongside them, encourage them, push them into what we know they are capable of, praising them, and raising them to be exactly who God intended them to be. 

While I don’t know their paths yet, if I only could have the patience of Mary to wait, knowing full well how awesome my kids are and see what God is going to do! 
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Being their biggest fan, number one fan, since day one.