Tuesday, December 23, 2008

In that lowly manger

In that lowly manger

In that lowly manger as beautiful Mary looked
upon her newborn Son, caressed His soft features,
felt the reassuring hand of her beloved Joseph,
did she see Him as a babe or as "the Savior of the world"?
Could she have heard what the Shepherds heard
while watching their flocks by night:
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord"?
Could she see the Prophet Samuel stand on the wall,
prophesy of her Son and of His coming hence?
Did she see Him as one who sat before the teachers
in the synagogues, teaching them when He was but 12?
Did she see Him walking along the sea, beckoning
Peter, James, and John to "come follow him"?
Did she see Him cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the maimed to walk?
Did she see Him say unto Lazarus, "Come forth…"?
Did she see Him beaten, torn, scorned by those who hated Him?
Did she see Him hang on that awful cross on Galgatha?
Could she have seen the empty tomb? Mary Magellan in the Garden?
Could she have heard the Father testify of her Son
when He introduced Him to the Nephites of old?
Could she have felt what other mothers felt when her Son
took each Nephite child, healed them, blessed them,
touched their lives for 200 years?
Could she have known as He lay there, wrapped in swaddling clothes
while the sheep bleated, the cows quietly mooed,
the Heavenly Star shining brightly above the stable,
announcing "Christ the Lord is born this day"?
Could she have known all of this as she sat with her first-born son,
cuddled him in her arms, stroking His subtle hair, cooing
her favorite lullabies to Him, making promises to teach Him
about what she knew, what she had been told
that He was "Son of the Highest"?
Yes, she would teach Him for she was His mother
and hast found favour with God…"