Call Me Blessed

[Soulfyre]

"All generations shall call me blessed". What impact those words spoken by Mary have. How different her response was than that of Eve, for Eve listened to the serpent and said "I will"; Mary listened to Gabriel and said to God, "As you will." This will be my first and only post on this board. I wish this to be a place where woman who visit this forum may share with one another and encourage one another in an open and free manner, without having men peering over their shoulder. Only women will moderate this forum.

God bless and keep you all,

Matthew (soulfyre)

[melinky]

Matthew,

Thanks for getting us off to a good start.

Over the past couple of years, Mary has become increasingly vivid in my mind. There were two major events that have triggered my interest in her.

The first happened during an excercise in my Bible study class last year. We were studying the Passion and we were given five minutes to write an account of Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of various different people who would have been there. I ended up with Mary. I knew it would be hard, but it was more rewarding than I could ever imagine. By the time I had written and read my account to the class, all of the women and some of the men were in tears. Even now, almost a year later, my eyes well up just thinking about it.

The second event was when I saw Mary played out before my eyes in "The Passion of the Christ." I'm sure that this connection I feel to her is due to the fact that I too am the mother of a son. I can't imagine the pain she must have felt as she saw her son beaten and tortured. Nor can I imagine standing there and helplessly watching as he died on the cross.

Now, the only way I can view the Passion is through her eyes, and it is from this view that the sacrifice Jesus made for me on the cross has become real. The timing of this thread is kind of funny, yet not terribly unexpected, because the reading in my Bible study last night included the Passion. Once again, I find it burned into my mind, almost blinding in it's intensity. I don't know that I could have been as strong as Mary, but I praise God that she was willing and able.

Yours in Christ,

Melinda

[mandapanda]

Yeah... this is like, random, but Melissa, are we the only women who belong to this forum?

[melinky]

I think there are a couple of others, but they never post.

My mother lurks here, but she just likes to read and learn. One day she may post, but for now, I just like knowing she's around.

Melinda