There are many reasons I am grateful for my mom. One of the biggest is that she teaches my girls nursery rhymes. All of the silly songs her mom sang to me when I was a kid are now sung by my babies. I typically have one of two reactions: I either giggle and sing with them, or I close my eyes and smile as I am taken back to a place in my childhood.
Today I had an abnormal reaction.
Ezrah came dressed as a sheep for her popsicle date with Stasia. She frolicked over to the table, popsicle in hand, and began to sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” She could hardly contain her giggles, clearly entertained at her own wit.
I froze in front of half a dozen carrots waiting to be chopped.
I replayed the lyrics in my mind in the form of a story: “Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. Everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.”
So many thoughts danced through my mind: ‘YES! Mary DID have a little lamb! He was so white because he was pure and perfect and wonderful! Has anyone noticed this before?! Does God delight in the unintentional telling of His love each and every time someone sings this nursery rhyme?’
As I bathed in the beautiful truth this nursery rhyme unintentionally told of, my thoughts were led to another inarguable truth:
I have a little lamb whose fleece is white as snow. Everywhere that I go, the Lamb is sure to go. I am the Mary of that nursery rhyme. And friend, you are the Mary of that nursery rhyme.
Countless times I have been reminded of this, but especially in the last week: Jesus never leaves us. He always loves us even when we rebel, when we don’t love Him, or when we don’t choose Him. But when we choose Him, love Him, and cling to him as my oldest baby does her beloved lamb in this picture, we have everything we could ever want or need.
