FIRSTLY. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.
I don't think any words can do it justice. I simply can't thank my mum enough.
Response to I want to be more like Mary by examining my mother.
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/holidays/christmas/i-want-to-be-more-like-mary/
Mary was chosen to be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. He raised Jesus and his human side reveals what type of women she was. And in our first encounter of Mary in the bible, we see that she exhibits many valuable characteristics that mothers can have. And one day, I want to be that type of mother too!
The characteristics of Mary:
- Faith.
I am reminded of the morning after my father passed away. I found my mother downstairs reading the bible. Despite the circumstances, she was willing to trust in God's word for guidance. And whenever, there are positive or negative events in our lives, she always returns to the bible.
- Divine Nature
My mother is not a saint. She is just another women filled with motherly love. But she impresses on me, many characteristics of Mary. And although, out of my pride, I sometimes want to be better than my mum, but there are definitely characteristics I want to have. Mum encourages us to be more like Jesus each and everyday. To be more forgiving, to be love.
- Individual Worth
She gives everything for my brother and I and the church. She works to feed us, she let us learn many things growing up so we can be of service to the church: indulging us in piano lessons, singing lessons, etc. We were POOR she had to work hard to make these things available to us. She knows what she can do for God's kingdom and knows her role.
- Knowledge
My bible study habits come largely from my mother, who ritualistically reads the bible and related books. You talk about something, and mum can usually find the reference in the bible within a few minutes. She tried to instill this skill in us by reading to us and encouraging us to memorize bible verses from a young age.
- Choice and accountability
You know, I'm deeply touched but mum has been praying for my future partner and me for a long time. And she has faith to know that I will meet that person one day. She is also good in keeping me accountable... when my heart leads me wayward.
- Good works
Even though our resources and skills are limited, mum always supported whatever volunteer, charity, fund raising efforts we had. And she herself did many acts of service, quietly without being noticed.
- Integrity
Undoubtedly mum tries to keep integrity in whatever she does. And she radiates. Those around her can feel her joy.
- Virtue
My mother is responsible for the way I am today. Since I lost my father at a young age, she has bravely taken on both roles. She fed us by working in lowly positions of employment and didn't seek other companionship for our sake.
Thank you to my dear mother who has put up with me when I was annoying and bratty, supported me when I chased impossible dreams and encouraged me to move on with my life. She is a quiet woman who works her hardest. She taught me to seek the Lord and obey his commands.
THANKS MUM.
Deuteronomy 6
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
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Please support my efforts in the Gold Coast Marathon 10km run. This year I will be running for Compassion.
Original article:
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/holidays/christmas/i-want-to-be-more-like-mary/
Mary is such a hero to me. I could study her and study her. She has so much to teach us. Woman to woman.
I am fascinated by her reaction to the Angel Gabriel. A response like this one is hard to come by in the scriptures. I wonder to myself, “Shannon, if an angel came to you, what would you do? What would be your first, very raw, response?” Would you be like Mary? Or would you be like others and be afraid, and doubt, and wonder if they came to the wrong person, or brought the wrong message?”
“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” (Luke 1:28-29)
I find it so interesting that Luke mentions that she was “troubled at his saying”, not “troubled at the angel”, of which Luke had no problem showing that Zacharias was earlier in the same chapter. Mary was clearly a righteous young woman who knew much about the coming Messiah. The verses that soon follow show that Mary understood the promised prophecies and at the moment was able to testify many things about him. She would have known that the Messiah was to be born through the royal lineage of David, of which she was. She knew that she was a qualified candidate for such a sacred position. And in this unexpected moment, she was able to process the message of the angel, not just the shock of him being there. What a prepared young woman she was! Clearly, she already had faith in such things.
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)
She didn’t ask for a sign, or proof. She just submitted. I don’t think this is a response that could come without the kind of faith that you have been developing for a long time. I can only imagine that if an angel appeared to me, I would reveal a lot about myself and where I really stood.
I would love to know more about her. I would love to hear what she was like, to hear stories. Such a beautiful example of all of the young woman values. Of faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity and virtue.
Her FAITH:
She never doubted, wondered or wavered at the Angel’s announcement to her. Mary didn’t know the details of how she would fulfill the mission she was given, nor did she understand the full meaning of it. But she trusted, believed and then acted on it.
Her DIVINE NATURE:
She clearly had a testimony that life existed on the other side of the veil just as much as on this side. She showed no need to gather her bearings that an angel actually existed. She would have understood that Gabriel was a spirit, just as she was. Both spirit children of Heavenly Father with divine potentials.
Her INDIVIDUAL WORTH:
Mary never said, as others had, that she did not have the capacity to do this assignment. She fully offered herself: ”Behold the handmaid of the Lord“. She believed that she could, even if she didn’t know how she would. This is the ultimate sign of humility. Sometimes we thing that saying we can’t do something is humility, but perhaps it is actually pride. Saying we can’t is doubting who we really are, and what the Atonement is really capable of doing in our lives. Saying we can is fully submitting and then praying like crazy for the help to do it.
Her KNOWLEDGE:
She clearly knew about angels, about the Messiah, and the prophecies surrounding the coming of the Lord. After she arrived to Elisabeth’s home, she was able to quote several prophecies, in what is now commonly known as Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:4655). Also, the knowledge deeply rooted in her was able to steady her in an unexpected moment. Her reaction to the Angel was so revealing of things she already knew. That same knowledge would surely give her strength during her unexpected pregnancy, almost losing Joseph, her long journey to Bethlehem, the less than favorable birthing circumstance, having strangers suddenly appear to see her child, and her sudden announcement to escape Bethlehem because of Herod’s evil doings.
Her CHOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
When Gabriel first appeared to her, his salutation was: “Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). You don’t earn this title without a long history of proving yourself. She must have been so righteous, and from the Premortal Life to Mortality! For she was chosen long before she ever came to earth. What a powerful spirit she was. She had used her agency to become stronger and stronger, not weaker. What a great example to all women! Plus, Joseph had chosen her to be his wife! The best description of Joseph is that he was a “just” man (Matthew 1:19). If you are “just”, then justice or the law is on your side – you aren’t depending on mercy, you have done what is right. Therefore, Joseph was a very righteous man, one who highly valued God’s laws and commandments. And he had chosen Mary to be his wife. He wouldn’t have wanted anything other than someone like her.
Her GOOD WORKS:
At the very beginning of her pregnancy, she traveled to where Elisabeth was and stayed with her for 3 months. Before being pregnant myself, I didn’t appreciate how difficult of a journey that could have been for her, but it doesn’t seem that something be hard ever stopped Mary. She did things because they were right, not because they were convenient.
Her INTEGRITY:
I have often wondered how difficult it would have been for her to start showing her pregnancy. Certainly a few heads were turned and a few gossiping interpretations were exchanged. For someone so pure, and so committed to her standards, how would it have felt to know that others thought such things of you? Integrity comes from the word “integer” which means “whole”. So if you have integrity, you wholly live what you believe. And who is a better example of that than Mary? So to know that you are being accused of something so sacred to you… she must have kept a lot of feelings in.
Her VIRTUE:
Salutations and introductions of her highlighted her purity. ”To a virgin, espoused to a man” (Luke 1:27), “And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin (1 Nephi 11:13). And it is her purity that qualified her for this sacred role. If she would have lost her purity, she would have forfeited this opportunity. I wonder how hard Satan had worked on her, as he is constantly trying to unravel God’s plan. But Mary was pure, and purity brings power. And that confidence that comes when you feel pure before God, would impact how she felt before the Angel and in accepting this call. Its not just about being virtuous, its about being confident before God.
