My Ponderings

On March 19th, 2025, the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, the day Jesus' body lay in the tomb, I was going through 2024 Christmas cards we received. As I read greetings of "Merry Christmas" and letters from friends, one card touched my heart. It was a picture of Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms. He looked to be a couple of months old. He was sleeping against her chest with His hand close to her heart. Mary's eyes were closed as if she is pondering Who she is holding: the Creator of the universe who came down from heaven to do the will of His Father in providing the supreme sacrifice for our sins, saving our souls, and making a way to have a personal relationship with Him that will last forever. Did she really realize all this? How can all that come from a tiny infant? Only Jesus can do such a thing.

As a mother, I began putting myself in Mary's place during Holy Week wondering if she was terrified as I would have been, unless God provided an extra measure of strength for her. Did He? I wonder. My heart would have been immeasurably hurting, watching all of what was happening, especially during that horrible walk down the Via Dolorosa to Golgatha. Seeing Jesus, so horribly beaten beyond recognition, watching the soldiers cast lots for His beautiful one-piece cloak (Did Mary make it?), hearing the pounding of those huge nails going into his hands and feet, the ground shaking as the cross was plunged into the ground, jerking Jesus' body. The Son she gave birth to and raised. Oh, the pain she must have felt. How could she, His mother, have borne that pain? How could Jesus bear His pain and separation from the Father? Only Jesus can do such a thing.

During all these ponderings of mine, a song was being played on my Pandora Easter song radio station. Guess what it was... "Jesus Paid It All." And He did. Once and for all, the sacrifice was made. We are saved, if we accept Jesus for His work on the cross, His burial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

I know the story doesn't end here, for it continues even to this present (and future) day(s). But for today, these are my thoughts. And I will dwell here until tomorrow morning when joy will fill my heart. He is Risen and Lives! In my heart and hopefully in yours. Be blessed. Only Jesus can do that.

I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to stop everything I was doing to write this now and not later. I hope you are blessed with these thoughts.

- Shirley Flanagan