Monday Meditation - Week 3

This week I will have had the honor of being Charlotte Moon's mom for an entire year. As with any anniversary, it has given me cause to reflect on my job as a mother. And since her birthday is about her, I'll make this week's meditation about me. This post could also be named - A Call to Motherhood.

Let's start with a text that is most often read during the Christmas season, Luke 1.26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel (A) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, (B) to a virgin engaged (C) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. (D) The virgin's name was Mary. And [the angel] came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you." [a] But she was deeply troubled (E) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her:
Do not be afraid, Mary, (F) 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. (G) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, (H) and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (I) He will reign over the house of Jacob (J) forever, and His kingdom will have no end. (K) Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?" [b]
The angel replied to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, (L) and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. (M) And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." (N) "I am the Lord's slave," [c] said Mary. "May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel left her.
I know, that was a longish passage, but I like to keep things in context instead of cherry-picking just the verse that I want to support my point. I'd rather have the text reveal God's point to me.

While I read and re-read this text over the weekend, I kept realizing the kind of mother Mary must have been. I realized that I could look to her as an example for my own mothering.

First, Mary had to be ready for God. I don't believe she could have been available to the angel Gabriel unless she was alone, seeking God.

Second, Mary had a humble and righteous character. Gabriel said she was favored. Society isn't so different now that we have to stretch our imaginations to understand what Gabriel meant. He meant that was was above reproach, that she had a strong character, rooted in what was valued by religious society.

Finally, I want to take away from this passage an exhortation for my own motherhood. Am I seeking God's will for my life and for Charlotte's life? and Am I living a righteous life that will reflect God into the life of my family?

What are you meditating on this week? Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your own blog post.

Image courtesy of Allposters.com

Comments

  1. Mozi EsmeMon Aug 04, 03:11:00 PM EDT

    Good points! As a mom, it's so easy to be too busy to be available or hear God . . . Yet that's the most important part of our job.

    ReplyDelete

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