He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11
I can remember the early days of youthful motherhood when my children were so very small. Their baby rolls, toothless grins, sweet baby breath, and sparkling eyes captivated my heart as I treasured every moment. Even their cries filled me with a deeper sense of purpose and a love so big it hurt. After experiencing motherhood, I read Luke 2:19 in a whole new light of understanding: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Imagine holding the precious Christ child in your arms, knowing that God had found you worthy of being his mother!
When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, Simeon–a devout man led by the Holy Spirit–spoke these words to Mary: “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also…” (Luke 2:35). Mary couldn’t have fully understood at that moment all that was to come, but she knew that there were painful days ahead for her child. What trust she must have had in her heavenly Father to have taken upon herself this mantle of motherhood knowing that these treasured moments with him were so fleeting. There comes a time when all parents must understand the same reality of childhood’s short brevity.
That’s probably why we hear phrases like, “Children steal your heart when they are little, then trample on it when they grow up.” The trampling of a parent’s heart can commence in so many ways, whether it be because of pain your child must suffer or because of pain they inflict through disobedience or bitterness toward you. No matter the case, parenthood never stays the same and there will always be moments that involve letting go.
How do we deal with these painful moments? One way is by understanding that though our children are only ours for a time, their heavenly Father loves and cares for them more than we ever could. Though we cannot always control where our children go or what they do, we have the unending privilege and responsibility of praying for them. I believe that the deep trust that Mary had in God even when she knew that she would suffer because of what her child would endure was because she knew how to pray. Prayer brings an understanding that we were never really in control in the first place, but that we get to entrust our precious treasures into the most capable, powerful, loving hands of their heavenly Father.
Prayer allows God’s love to infuse our children’s lives, even if we don’t know where they are or what they are doing. Prayer brings protection within the valley of the shadow of death. Prayer turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Prayer is the means in which God works miracles on this earth.
Whatever stage you may find yourself in on the journey of parenthood–whether your heart feels treasured or trampled–remember that God sees you, He sees your child, and He loves both of you more than you could ever imagine.
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