How Much Did Mary Know?

I have been thinking a lot this month about the story of the nativity and also the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know.” It has really caused me to wonder how much Mary knew about what the plan was for her son. Surely she must have known he was something special because of the circumstances surrounding his conception and also from the visits from angels.

I can’t help but remember when my babies were tiny and I would rock them or watch them sleep and how I would wonder what they would be like when they grew up. What would they look like? What would their interests be? What kind of example would they be to others? What kind of choices would they make as they started becoming adults? What callings in the church would they hold? What kind of parents will they make? What will their babies look like?

As a mother, I imagine Mary wondered a lot about the future of her son.  When she looked at his tiny little face, could she fathom the enormity of who her child was? Did she have any idea what her child’s calling on this earth would entail? Did she know that he was destined to die a horrific death? Did she know the example that her child would become for the entire world? Did she understand about the pre-existence and did she know what her child did in the grand council in heaven?

I was always a protective mother. I always wanted to know where my kids were and what they were doing and who they were with. I wonder how Mary found the strength to trust God and let her son do what He needed to do from a very young age, knowing how important he was. I often ponder what it must have been like for her when He was crucified and how hard that must have been for her to know that He was suffering, but that it had to happen like that. What strength she must have possessed to be the mother of Christ!

I often wonder about the personality of Mary and about her tender relationship with her son. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the responsibility of being the mother of Christ…. And then I remember that God loves all His children equally.

So even though I am not the mother of Christ, I am the mother of four of God’s children whom He loves equally and while that is an enormous responsibility when you think of it, I feel so blessed to know that I have been entrusted with such a tender calling on this earth. I wish I had realized this 24 years ago as I was preparing to become a mother for the first time. There are probably a lot of things I would have done differently. But as I have really thought about this, this Christmas season, I am thrilled to have finally realized what special spirits God has entrusted me with. I don’t look at my children the same now. I look at them more with awe and wonderment and excitement about their potential, knowing that they might be my flesh and blood, but they are so much more than the parts of them that came from me.