Jilly Brandon

Birds chirping with their whole heart this morning.  Even though the inky darkness of night was still out there, they seem to know that they need to greet each new day with an unabashed zest to sing.

In their song, there is a hope, a promise. The dawn of a new day is approaching.  It’s barely 4 am, and like a perpetual alarm clock they grace us with their jubilant voices, as if to announce to us, the day has come, the morn awakens our weary souls, and a fresh new day is upon us.

I awoke up this morning wondering about “Mary.”  You know the one who was given the most awesome responsibility of carrying our Lord in human form.  She had, within her womb, the Savior, the hope for all mankind.  Think of it…it staggers my mind.

Mary had such complete trust, such utter reliance in the Lord.  Was this why she was chosen for carrying out such a monumentally important task?  This  gave me pause to think on this morning.

This morning of Mothers’ Day.  This day that we celebrate and give accolades to all of our Mothers out there.  Only God can truly know what goes on in the heart of a Mother.

 

 

 

How carefully and with such purpose that He decided to take Eve from Adam’s side, and create someone, a companion for man to do life with.  Did Adam feel lonely, before she came into his life?  Did he even know what lonely meant?

 

I often find myself smiling when I picture Eve appearing in the the fresh morning in the Garden of Eden, the lush greenery, imposing floral buds surrounding her, fresh fruit scent permeating the air.

She would be utter beauty in her female form.  Naked, and alluring, every body part created with careful detail.  Her would glow around her softly, and her eyes would be a perfect emerald green perhaps, enhancing the leaves surrounding her.

 

Adam must have  had his first jaw dropping moment, and from that point on, the world would never ever be the same.  Eve, the Mother of all mankind has arrived, and with her, Motherhood would be introduced.

Even though Eve was taken from a rib in Adam’s side, I think we forget how fundamentally important this is to us, as her children.

Motherhood is such a sacred institution, and I think if we had any idea of how much potential sorrow and grief would accompany us in this  vocation, we would have run to the hills, and tried to avoid it.   I remember my Grandma walking down the hill to our family home, often clapping a freshly cut bouquet of roses from her garden, to visit my Mother and her first born son.

 

My Dad had Parkinson’s disease, and had been reduced to laying in his bed, often with his eyes closed, and the once lovely voice, forever quieted by this sickness.  She would hold his big, softened hand, in her much smaller one, the tears unhindered rolling down her cheeks, and whisper, ” good morning John, it’s your Mother.”

Such a memory this evokes in my mind.  It did not matter that she was in her late 80’s at the time, and her bed ridden son was in his 60’s, he was still her son, and she, still his Mother.

No disease, or eventual death can erase that fact.  Once a Mother….you got it…always a Mother.

I have fantasized, if given the choice again, wouldI want to be a Mother in another life?  Does the love, and utter joy it brings, outweigh the gut wrenching sorrow , and fear it conjures up often times?

Does the on the knees crying out in prayer for deliverance from a situation balance the complete happiness in being someone’s’ Mom?

 

Mary was just an innocent young woman when the Holy Spirit let her know what was planned for her future.  She was promised to Joseph to be his wife, but what faith those two must have had, to simply just accept the situation that life presented them with.. I can’t even imagine…

Nobody   in the history of mankind, or womankind, had ever been entrusted with such a precious assignment.  Design assignment of course…Holy…. Um..cow…pondering this just rocks my world.

Mary, the Mother of the savior of the world….what would we do, as women, if given this righteous responsibility?

Then….having the baby in a barn, no nurse midwife, ob/gyn, pain meds.  Nope nothing..nada…Just her loving husband, Joseph there, a donkey, some sheep, perhaps  some  squawking chickens graced the straw covered dirt floor, but other than that, just the cool, starlit sky for company.

What a night to think on.   She was birthing the baby Jesus, and nothing, nowhere on this earth, would ever be the same again.

Mary and Eve…. What did they look like physically?  I’m captivated by them.  I’m asking myself if given the opportunity that they both were, how I would have reacted? How would you?

Could my faith be strong enough, could I withstand the pressures of the day, and react appropriately to the choices presented to me?… Such a challenging paradox these too women present.

“Faith never knows where it is being led, But it knows and loves the One who is leading.”…..Oswald Chambers

When visiting with my own Mother for this last week, I picked up the book, ” The Shack,” by William P. Young…..wow..such a book.  If you haven’t read it…it will blow your mind.  You can check into it at theshackbook.com.

I was so comforted by this man, “Mack,” and his journey in this book.  His experience was profound, soul searching, and so gut wrenching..  I cried so hard, but I had  such hope of redemption throughout it.  God can take anything, and redeem it….even the most broken down and disastrous looking, heartfelt misery, and turn  it into something pure and good.

 

Its what he especially specializes in..I just so love that about Him…I so love Him…my Jesus.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God

But only he who sees takes off his shoes;

The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”

Elizabeth Barret Browning.

These quotes were taken from the book mentioned above.

And so, on Mothers’ Day, I honor all  of our dear Mothers out there.  You are each incredible.  You gave us life, and loved us when we were unlovable.

You gave us marvelous friendships in one another as women, daughters, sisters, aunts, sister in laws, friends and cousins.  I will be eternally grateful to have known so wonderful “Mary’, and “Eve’s” in my life time.

As an “army of Eve’s” we must lift up our fellow womenfolk, and champion ourselves onward into fulfilling our unique destinies.  Let us not grow tired in our roles, but lean into one another for sustainment and comfort in this life.

Friendship from one another is so crucial both in the Mothering experience, and in the life experience.  Community of caring and love, and sharing with one another, is one of the richest joys in life.