Tuesday, December 10, 2013

...and his mother shall be called Mary

Yesterday I was determined to have more fun with my kids and we set off after supper to go to the Space and Science Center. Joshua was so excited to go. And then we got there, and found out that they close at 5pm most days. Boo-urns! Well, I had one unhappy little girl and one VERY disappointed  boy. We got back into the van, and I proposed to Joshua that we go play at McDonald's and get ice cream cones. That was acceptable to him.

Once at McDonald's, he actually wanted a toy instead of a tiny cone. I picked the action toy, the one that's supposed to fly. That darn tootin' toy doesn't actually fly very well. Should have gotten the Smurf toy, but we had already opened the other one. I was NOT going to buy another toy. Once again Joshua was sad, but we got to playing in the playplace and he soon forgot. There was another family there, with two little girls, and we
got to be friends with them and had lots of fun. When it was time for them to go, I went to say goodbye and noticed they had two Smurf toys they were just leaving behind. "We already have them all."

"Could I have them?"

YES!!

Tender Mercy 1, the Smurf.

Tender Mercy 2, Bethlehem Walk. It's this neat pageant-y kind of thing put on by a local church and we had gotten a flier in the mail about it. I had wanted to go, but thought that it finished on Sunday (I have a serious problem with mixing up dates and times.) But while we were playing some acquaintances from church came in and we got to talking. They had just gone to Bethlehem Walk and now were eating supper. IT WAS STILL ON!! I got the kids back into their coats, into the van, and away we went.

Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with Mary.

I've been really struggling this year to grow my faith in Christ, to feel connected with Christ. I've been reading my scriptures, etc. and it's just been hard. It bugs me most, because this is the CHRISTmas season. It should be easy. But it hasn't been. We witnessed angels singing to the shepherds, through Bethlehem town where we ate tiny breads and saw animals, and past the inn with no room for anyone, past the carpenter making a cross and the blacksmith making spikes, to the stable.

There, amidst the straw and in the chill night air, was Joseph and Mary with their wee babe. And Mary looked at us and beckoned us closer, to see her baby.

I just about lost it. I took a few deep breaths to keep the sobs away but I couldn't say very much for a minute or so. Every time I looked back over at Mary I'd start to cry.

Because being a mother is something I can identify with. And because at a time when I'm not feeling as close to Christ, there was Mary, beckoning us closer, to see and remember the Son. And I started to feel the Christmas spirit a bit more.

Before we left I  asked Joshua how he felt. "Happy."

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we don't worship Mary, but we do reverence her. She is a very special lady.

From the Book of Mormon:
            "And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning, and his mother shall be called Mary."
Mosiah 3: 8
 
 
For more insight on Mary, the mother of Jesus, check this out.
 

 


             

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