Pondering....

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." -Luke 2:19

This verse comes after the shepherds had come to Bethlehem to find the Child, Jesus.  They spread the word about this child and what they had been told by the angels. I try to imagine what was going through this new mother's mind.  All this fuss being made over her son.  Did she even get a moment to revel in the joys of being a first time mother?  Within a few months, Herod was seeking to kill Christ. Later in the same chapter, Jesus is found in the temple teaching the elders, and Mary and Joseph come looking for him.

"And he said unto them, 'How is it that you sought me? Don't you know that I must be about my Father's business?'....And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart."  -Luke 2:49, 51

I wonder many times about the mention of Mary and how she kept her thoughts close within.  The bond with your child is like none other.  And up until the age of 11 or 12, I'm sure Jesus was a pretty "normal" little boy.  Mary changed dirty diapers, chased after him in the yard, protected him from danger, etc, etc, etc. She knew from the very beginning, and especially at the age of 12, what was to be the life of Christ.  I find her spirit and temperament unparalleled.  

I say all that to say, that my little baby boy is growing up.  When did that happen?  When he began walking earlier this summer, it's like a whole other personality crept in.  Sometimes that personality is a wee bit stubborn, but I told my mom the other day, I think God allows our children to be just sweet and cuddly enough to get over all the tough moments/hours/days....

Jeremy and I decided that sending Langston half a day, four days a week, would be good for him and for Jeremy (with his work load).  We found a wonderful program here in Demopolis, and can't wait for him to start!  They had an "open house" this week, and since I was at work, Jeremy took him, but sent me lots of good pictures!  When I saw this one of him standing under his name, I started crying....I'm sure if any of my students noticed, they didn't want to mess with the pregnant, emotional teacher.  Anyway, I did not expect to be hit with that emotion.  I'm a teacher, I understand and love the idea of school and kids learning, but I think the idea of my boy "growing up" is what got to me.  I was not prepared.    

I was also unprepared for the sweetness that ensued at our first volleyball game this week.  Langston was with me at workouts several times over the summer, and since school started has been attending most of the practices.  The girls love him!  He loves the girls!  They watch out for him.  He knows them as part of our extended family.  Our first date was a tri-match which means we played two games that night.  Jeremy was there for the first one, so he and some of my team moms (who I could not do without) were able to keep him occupied. However, by the second match, Jeremy had left to cover a high school football game, so we tried having Langston sit with the mamas, but he kept crying and reaching for me, so I finally, just gave in and sat him in the chair beside mine, and that's where he stayed the entire game (minus a few times he sat in my lap).  The entire time he was either eating snacks or had his hand resting on my leg or arm.  Even when things got loud he didn't flinch.  He wasn't scared.  During a time out, he crawled out of the chair and made his way to the huddle and tried to give each girl his water bottle.  And when they "broke the huddle", he raised his hand right along with them and then came to sit next to me.

I am trying harder than I ever have to soak up these precious moments that are so fleeting.  I am keeping all these things close to my heart, because one day he will become a man. One day he will face tough opposition, maybe even for standing up for Christ and His church. But in those moments of hardship, I will remember that even Langston, and all the children I may have, "must be about the Father's business." I'm sure Mary had times that she doubted her ability to raise the Son of God and watch him suffer for the world, but she stayed faithful to her son and to the Father.  I pray that I'm able to do the same every moment of my life.