Soul Scientist

Luke 2:19 GW Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them.

One of my favorite memories from last week’s visit of grandbaby girl was her times of “playing rocks” with the rock collection I keep in my home office. We played rocks together by sorting, counting, holding the rocks up to the light, naming their colors, and saying “oooo” or “pretty” to the very special ones. (Granted, most every rock garnered at least one exclamation of how lovely it was – be it from grandbaby girl or me. I think she’s inherited my DNA to appreciate the innate beauty found in a good rock or three.)

While we were “playing rocks”, I was reminded of when I used to “play buttons” with my grandmother’s button jar. I can remember the joy of sorting, counting, holding the buttons up to the light, naming their colors, and saying “ooo” or “pretty” to the very special ones. (I also used to string the prettiest buttons to make a necklace or bracelet. Unfortunately, stringing isn’t an option with rocks…) Grannie would often tell me stories associated with some of the buttons – “that one was from my favorite blue dress” or “this one was from your mother’s jacket when she was a little girl” and the like.

Those buttons were treasures to Grannie and me in different ways – physical touch and visual beauty along with memories of places, events, and people evoked. These rocks are treasures to grandbaby girl and me in different ways – physical touch and visual beauty with (hopefully) one day her hearing the stories of how and where the rocks came from.

I wonder if Mary did similar with her experiences surrounding Jesus’ birth. The verse given above from Luke could imply that idea. Did she treasure up times of sorting the prophecies fulfilled, counting sheep and shepherds, holding up the gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the light, naming the colors of the wise men’s robes, and saying “ooo” or “pretty” to those very special slobbery kisses, songs, and smiles from baby and little boy Jesus? Did she say aloud to herself in quiet moments the words said about Jesus by Simeon and Anna at the temple? Did she eagerly tell Joseph all about Jesus’ first words, first steps, or first miracle?

Did she pull out memories as treasured gifts to be unwrapped in delight over and again? Did she wrestle with the knowledge that she was the one chosen to be mama to Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23)? Was she overcome with the knowledge at the Cross that her Son was the One chosen to become sin for all of us so that we might become the righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Did she ponder with tears at the trials and triumphs before, during, and after His life as she watched and waited for the revealing which (probably) didn’t come in the way she imagined or wanted?

Scripture doesn’t answer these questions for us. But we can see evidence of Mary’s knowing God’s will for her life and her receiving His will with obedience in Scripture (see Luke 1:46-55). I want that for my own life. I want the grace with which she accepted the unimagined and unknown. I long to keep being inspired to write and wait and want more times of “playing rocks” with grandbaby girl (and God willing, other grandbabies, someday).

May grandbaby girl and may I grow up to be like Mary in devotion to our Good God Who is glorious in His beauty and gracious in His being, in all ways at all times for all peoples.

Luke 1:46 ERV Then Mary said, “I praise the Lord with all my heart”

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written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2023.