Letter to His Mother

Dear Mary,

On Mother’s Day, who better to write about than the earthly mother of our Lord and Savior? There is no woman I could admire more; for, though my own mother birthed me into this world, it is your son who gave me life. My mother raised me and nurtured me, directly impacting the woman I have become. But it is your son who has given me a purpose for living and a direction for my life.

From the very beginning, you possessed a depth of faith I have sought most of my life. Carrying the savior of the world in your womb, you did not question the truth or validity of your purpose. Although you likely felt the weight of the responsibility you bore in carrying out God’s plan, you never doubted that God would see you safely through.

I can only imagine what it was like for you to raise Jesus as any mother raises her child. I’ve often wondered if He suffered from the "terrible twos" or if He was as perfect in childhood as He was in adulthood. I’m sure that while you never forgot who He was during His younger years, you likely stepped into the daily routine all parents fall into with their children. I’m sure you grew quite attached to this fine boy, beaming with the pride and joy all mothers share.

When it was time for Jesus to start the ministry He had been called to, I wonder if you felt humble and grateful that your son had made it safely to this point, or did you feel a pang of sadness to know that His ministry would take Him to places far removed from where most mothers would dare to travel? You trusted in God’s promise that Jesus would be the long-sought savior of the people, but I can’t imagine how difficult it was to witness the cruelty and suffering heaped upon Him. Dare I say that not even the promises of the sovereign Lord can completely ease the breaking of a mother’s heart when her child suffers pain and injustice?

You and your son are joyously reunited for all eternity as He sits at the right hand of the Father. I for one am incapable of fully understanding the grace of the risen Christ. The depth of His sacrifice is incomprehensible. But the mother in me can appreciate – if only by a fraction – the depth of your sacrifice. By your faith, my Savior was born into the world to dwell among men and to set us free by grace. By your faith, the path to freedom and eternal life was paved.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mary. I can’t wait to one day meet the mother of the One who gave me life.

Sincerely,
A grateful child of our wonderful Lord