Five Minute Friday (Assume) God's Peace - Your Sanity Saver

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

you know what happens when you assume

assume the worst

assume the position

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If you're a parent, you have probably learned that one of the most dangerous things you can do is assume things about your kids. This ranges from the annoying and ridiculous to the truly frightening and disastrous. There are quite a few jokes pointing out that when your preschooler has been really quiet in their room, you cannot assume he's napping. It's at least equally possible that he's found a permanent marker and is writing on the walls. 

You also shouldn't just assume your child knows what to do if they get lost in a public place, or that your middle schooler will remember to tell you about ALL the homework they have, or that your teen will text you their change of plans when they are with friends. Even if you've brought your kids up in a Christian home and taken them to church, don't assume that they are solid in their faith and can withstand the onslaught of lies and godlessness in the world, or that they can discern between God's truth and the world's lies.

Now imagine that you've been given the job of parenting the Son of God. This kid is literally perfect in his behavior, and even though he's your firstborn, you've recognized that his level of obedience and respect and goodness is really unusual among his peers. So you can assume he'll never give you anything to worry about, right? 

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

~Luke 2:41-44~

Everything is going well, and Mary and Joseph have been doing all the things they are supposed to do in bringing up their children to observe the Jewish feasts and laws. After this particular yearly trip, they started back home with their large family group on schedule, and assumed their twelve-year-old was hanging with the cousins. After all, he was a very good boy, extremely responsible, and knew when they were leaving. Besides, he'd never caused them a moment's worry!

When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later . .

~Luke 2:45~

Hold up . . . three days?!?! Can you imagine how frantic they must have been? My three-year-old got lost in a hotel complex once, and I think he was gone for a total of thirty minutes tops but I can tell you it was the longest and most wretched thirty minutes of my life up until that point. And we had the advantages of cell phones and a security staff at the resort that had a specific and immediate lockdown and search protocol. I feel Mary and Joseph must have been in a state of panic and despair, and probably promised themselves and each other that they would never again just assume they knew where their kids were.

When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

His parents didn't know what to think. "Son," his mother said to him, "why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."

"But why did you need to search?" he asked. "Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they didn't understand what he meant.

~Luke 2:45-51~

 What great relief when they found him, and in arguably one of the safest places he could be! He was in the Temple, discussing and debating with the rabbis. And not just eavesdropping quietly on their conversation either. He was participating with knowledgeable responses and insightful questions that demonstrated a deep understanding well beyond his years. This amazed all the adults in the room, but of course the Son of God would be intimately familiar with the Law that he himself gave! Other than his birth story, this is the only story from his childhood given in the Gospels, and it's interesting because it's essentially an indicator that he was beginning to assume his position as an authoritative student and teacher of the Scripture. Jesus assumed his role in his Father's house, and interestingly, he also assumed that his parents should have known where he'd be.  

Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

~Luke 2:51-52~

 Jesus returned home with mum and dad and continued to be the best son ever. And for the second time, we're told that Mary treasured up all these things in her heart. I imagine her making a scrapbook in her heart and mind of all the wondrous and miraculous events in her son's life, and maybe all the everyday things as well. Maybe the memories she treasured also included how kind and gentle her boy was with his younger siblings, how eager he was to help his dad around the house, and how compassionate and generous he was in caring for grandparents and neighbors. 

 I have hidden your word in my heart 

that I might not sin against you.

~Psalm 119:11~

I'm speculating, of course, but I think Mary's sanity saver was meditating on God's Word and on all the ways she could see God's faithfulness to his promises. She pondered everything that had happened to fulfill prophecy when Jesus was born, and no doubt she marveled that God had chosen her to play a part. She remembered the prophecies of Simeon and Anna, and all the words of the ancient prophets and considered what fulfillment might look like. And she wondered what it might mean that a twelve-year-old was engaged in doctrine and theology discussion with the learned teachers in Jerusalem.

I believe that Mary knew Scripture and hid it in her heart, drawing connections between the Law and Psalms and Prophets and her own daily experience with Jesus. I believe the promises of God that she believed wholeheartedly carried her through the times of worry and fear and grief that she would experience as Jesus began his ministry and continued to the cross. The peace of God that passes all understanding comforted her and shaped her into a woman that could provide wisdom and leadership to the early church. She wasn't perfect. She was a human mother that made mistakes but was doing her best. 

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

~Luke 1:45~

The promises of God are the sanity saver every parent needs to hold onto. God loves your kids way more than you do and he knows exactly where they are and what they need. You can trust God with your kids. Be at peace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7~

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I used a lot more than five minutes, but my excuse is that I combined Five Minute Friday with the Write 28 Days prompt for today!

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Assume".

This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2023 challenge here: Write Something Somewhere

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