Carrying the Promise

"And the Angel came to her and said, "Rejoice favored woman! The Lord is with you.....Then the Angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen, you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus." 

St. Luke 1:28-31 (HCSB)

On this Christmas day, that Christians refer to as the day that Christ was born, I reflect on a previous conversation that I had with my oldest Son, Byron. We were conversing about various aspects of my Organization, "A Mother's Cry" and some of the challenges of bringing for my goals and visions to support Mothers. In addition, I shared some of the challenges of Motherhood and the weight of responsibility of shaping, molding and nurturing your child. I explained to him that being a Mother, includes experiencing strengths and weaknesses that you did not even realize you possessed. Also, there are fears and uncertainties that arise as you accept this responsibility. In response to my statements, he said, "Mom, imagine the issues involved in being the Mother of Jesus!" I said, "Wow, talk about pressure."

We went on to discuss the unusual circumstances surrounding her entire situation. Being told by an Angel that she would become pregnant, carry and give birth to the promised Messiah! That she would be explicitly involved in his Divine Purpose in The Battle of Evil vs Good. Can you imagine the emotions that she went through everyday? Understanding his assignment and Call, yet wanting to protect him from the problems that he would face. While there were many who understood and accepted who He was, NO ONE fully understood like His Mother.

 A Mother's bond with her child is indescribable and irreplaceable. But imagine giving birth to a child already knowing that His ultimate Purpose is to die. Wow! I'm sure that that initially, Mary, after getting over the initial shock of the pronouncement, felt a sense of pride at having been chosen. At being the one favored by God to carry the Promise. What an Honor! 

But then as time moves forward and His assignment becomes clearer, this Mother would experience the stress and pressure of it. She would have constant concern for her child's safety, as His very existence upset the "System." His call made Him a target and put Him in constant danger. 

There are many of us today who live in this constant polar existence of emotions with regard to the safety of our Sons. But even on our worst days, we revere THIS Mother who carried the Promise. The Promise that would provide our path to our Creator.

Merry Christmas to all of you Mothers!