Mary Did You Know?

Mary, did you know?
That your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know?
That your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you?

Several people have recorded this song. One of the more common ones you hear on the radio at Christmas time is the one recorded by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. One of the better versions I've heard is the one Kathy Mattea does. Besides this being a beautiful song on its own merit, I think it touches the heart of every single parent when they look at the face of their child and are filled with the wonder and hope and promise of who this child could become.

Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Every baby, every life, is a gift from God. And when you see a baby, you see all the good, the innocence, the pureness, that is life. And that's why babies hold such promise. I believe all parents want certain things for their children...they want them to be healthy, to be safe, to have a decent life. Some parents, unfortunately, try to live their unfulfilled lives through their children, or place too much direction in front of their children. That is one extreme.

The other extreme is the abusive or neglectful parent. The adult who harms the child, or neglects the child to the point the young one never really has a childhood. There are so many wayward and awful paths this could go, it's impossible to list them all.

But in the middle, is the parent who accepts the gift of a child with all the awe and delight and enormity of promise that a child really is. There is the parent who, looks down on that soft round face of a baby and knows they really are looking at the face of God. And they know God has entrusted them with a child just like he trusted Mary with his child. And being human and struggling with our own faults, we are going to try to help this child be their best...Play fair, learn the golden rule, go to school, get good grades, get a job, become something. And we have no idea how to do that and no idea what God wants this child to become.

I work with parents all the time to accept their child for who he or she is. Look at their personality traits (no matter what they are) as positives, and then consider how they can channel those traits constructively. If your child is demanding, help them turn that into assertive. If your child is bossy, help them turn that into leadership qualities. If your child talks a lot, give them appropriate outlets for doing so.

From an early age, we realized my oldest daughter loved to read. She also has an excellent memory which makes her an excellent at languages, editing, spelling, and such related things. She kind of hopped around with her interests in college and we kept encouraging her to pursue what she was interested in, not necessarily what she thought would get her an immediate job right after graduation. She's not really happy with her factory job right now, but she got a well-rounded degree in an area she really liked studying. She's thinking of grad school. We still don't know where she'll end up. Neither does she. Her path is far from over.

My middle daughter got a dual degree, one of them being in engineering. She's in the midst of interviews. Something will pan out for her soon. She's also considered med school. She's smart and talented. Once she's in the work force, I'm certain more opportunities will come her way.

My youngest is all over the map. She is bursting with life and ideas and possibilities. They all seem to center around criminal justice in some way whether it's the FBI or law or some other related field. I think she will probably try on several jobs in her life time.

For all of them, the possibilities are exciting, and I'm glad we've given them the message they can pursue whatever direction they choose. I cannot imagine deciding for them. And I cannot imagine the enormity of what Mary knew about her child.

Mary, did you know?
That your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know?
That your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.