“And he said to them, ‘How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?'”

Luke 2:49

Well isn’t this every mother’s favourite decade?
Mary lost Jesus.
Let that swim in your head.
Mary, Mother of God, lost Jesus.
Oops.

I lost my little girl in a mall on Boxing Day once, for about 20 minutes. She was at the age where hiding under clothing racks or standing between hanging clothes was great sport.

Panic kicked in and we scoured shop after shop, desperately describing her to confused sales assistants while scanning floors and walls for tiny feet to give her position away.

After 20 horrible minutes I realised we needed serious help and headed to the information desk to call in Security. There was my beautiful girl, sitting on the desk chatting to the Info ladies.
I was so relieved I burst into tears.

Mary gets the lost kid thing. This makes me feel much better. She gets the desperate worry that hits us in such moments.
However awful and rotten some of those times are, there will be joy. ‘Finding Jesus in the Temple’ is a Joyful mystery. Maybe we will find moments of joy in this life, but that joy will be certain when we find Jesus in eternity.

Mary’s experiences in life make it so much easier to bring our petitions to her and ask her to beg her Son’s help. Mary’s perseverance is proven. She found Jesus. She rejoiced in Jesus, and she wants us to rejoice with her in finding Jesus. “My spirit rejoices in God my saviour!” (Luke 1:47)

Mary will hear us and pray for us, just to share the joy of finding the Son with us.
Keep looking.
Seek Him relentlessly.
Find Him in His Father’s house.
Sit in front of the tabernacle.
Ask Mary to accompany you as you sit at His feet pondering His teachings. Find Jesus and rejoice!

~ Susan Holmes

Susan lives in Sydney, is the wife to Peter and mum of eight kids. Some of them getting alarming older and larger than since she first lost them!