Keep an Eye on that Kid

It was 1982. My oldest son at the time had just turned 3 and I had an infant son about 4 months old. I had taken my boys with me to Valley River Center, a mall in Eugene.

On this particular day we had strolled around for a bit, in and out of shops on the lower level and now we were on the upper level, just strolling when suddenly I realized Mikey was not with me. Oh! Panic! If you have never lost a child, praise God, because it is a mother’s worst nightmare. Had he been taken? Was someone holding him against his will? Had they already made their way out a side exit? Was my child being stolen?

There were so many people, and I was just yelling his name. I would pop into one shop, and yell his name and ask, “have you seen a little boy, blonde, about this tall?!”

The answer was met with no, no, and no.

It was probably, tops, 2 minutes, but it felt like an hour. I turned and saw the entrance to the arcade room. I felt myself moving in that direction and that is where I found him. He was not scared. In fact, he was hoping he could stay. His mother had other ideas. That day forever changed me as a mother. I made a habit with my children, from that day on, to stop at the front door or entrance of any establishment, venue, park etc., and verbally go over with them what they were to do if we became separated.

I have a vivid memory of shopping with my grandma when I was about 4 years old. Unbeknownst to me, she had popped into a dressing room to try something on. I suddenly found myself lost. It is a horrible feeling to be lost or to lose your child.

I read of a story that happened a few years ago, I think around 2015, where a family, on vacation, had stopped at a rest area to stretch and use the facilities. Back on the road, they suddenly realized they had left their daughter behind, at the rest stop!

The parents say when they got back into the car and back on the road, they asked their two older children, a boy and a girl, if everything was all right, and the children had answered, yes.

No one noticed that the 3-year-old wasn’t in the car.

Luckily, another family at the rest area saw the young child, and after they realized she was alone, they contacted the authorities and stayed with her until help arrived. The little girl told police that her parents drove away and was able to describe her family’s car. The family continued on their way for a whopping 90 miles before they heard a police bulletin on the radio and realized their awful mistake. The drive back to their daughter must have felt like it took forever.

Hopefully, this family’s story will remind other parents to double-check the backseat before pulling out onto the open road. The worst part of a road trip should be running out of snacks, not leaving a child behind.

I want to share one more story of losing a child in a crowd. Apparently, it is more common than we know.

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.

After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Luke 2:41-48 NIV

WOW! Do I know that feeling, but only on a very small scale. My search lasted about 3 minutes. Their search lasted 3 to 4 days!

How was Mary able to sleep? Did she toss and turn all night. What about Joseph? I’m sure as the man in the family, the protector, he felt some responsibility. Not only had they lost their son, but they had lost the Son of God!

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.” Luke 2:49-50

The chapter ends with Jesus going back home with His parents to Nazareth. The Bible says He was “subject to them”, or obedient to them, and then verse 51 ends with, “but His mother kept all these things in her heart.”

Mary had a lot going on. And I think she handled it with such grace.

Who was she? Some today might think, “way too young”, “certainly not qualified” “not even from a noble family”. But.

Have you ever thought of the word, ‘but’? It changes the whole vibe of the sentence. For instance:

“You look beautiful, but those pants are too tight.”

“I baked a cake but, it’s not for you.”

“I know I promised, but I’m really busy.”

The ‘but’ changes everything.

From Wikipedia, “Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus…The New Testament describes Mary as a young virgin who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit. After giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, she raised him in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, and was in Jerusalem at his crucifixion and with the apostles after his ascension.”

That’s what the secular world tells us, and yet there is so much more to her story.

According to Jewish customs at the time, a young woman might become betrothed to a young man as early as 12 years of age, though the consummation of their marriage through ceremony and physical intimacy would not happen until they were legally married, many months or even years later. (gotquestions. org)

Who is she? She is Mary, mother of Jesus. Let’s take a peek into her story, a story that forever changed history and forever secured out future.

The good doctor wants to set the story straight and so he begins to pen a letter. It read something like this: “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4 NIV

This is interesting. According to bibleinfo, around 26% of the New Testament was written to Theophilus in Luke’s writings. Luke’s desire was to prove to Theophilus the truth of Jesus the Messiah’s life, death and resurrection. And, beyond what Luke writes, the rest of the Bible says nothing about Theophilus. But that’s not why we are here.

We are looking at the relationship between and boy and His mother. We are taking just a small glance at what it must have looked like to be thrust into Mary’s life.

Remember, she is young, and yet, she became instant stepmom to Joseph’s children. We don’t how many other children, but I found this in Mark 6:3, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”…” ESV

I think we can safely assume he had at least 4 stepbrothers. Maybe more. Sisters are also mentioned. Mary no doubt had her hands full as a stepmom and perhaps these stepchildren lived on their own by then. I don’t know. I do know, she is a new mom, and she is still a kid herself in many regards!

How hard was her life? She was no doubt gossiped about, lied about; perhaps rejected in certain circles. I have a strong suspicion Mary had a hard life, but, God had a plan.

She was young, but, she was willing. She was not married let alone had ever been with a man, but, God saw a willing heart. The world saw an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but, God saw a woman that could handle it all.

The ‘but’ changes everything.

by Jeanette Stark - Thursday, March 30, 2023