For Tonight You Are Mine

Tonight I was rocking Carter to sleep and I started to sing to him. Songs included "Hush, Little Baby," "A Child's Prayer," and "I Am a Child of God." Then for the first time to either of my children, I started singing "Mary's Lullaby." It came out of nowhere and is a favorite that I only sing at Christmas time. I sing this particular arrangement with my sisters in three-part harmony and it's really pretty. I love the arrangement, and I've never sang it to my kids before. I sang the melody for the first time and sang Carter the entire song-only this time it was different for me. I sang as if I was Mary singing to her sweet baby, and an overwhelming feeling of peace and love came over me. I pictured myself as Mary, sitting in a cold and dirty stable with Joseph and baby Jesus. I sang the words as if I were speaking directly to the baby Jesus and expressing my love for Him.

All mine in your loveliness baby, all mine.

All mine in your holiness baby divine. 

Sing on herald angels in chorus sublime;

Sing on and adore, for tonight you are mine.

In that moment this mother, who had just brought our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world, was swaddling her baby and holding him close, knowing that He was meant for something special but in that moment was all hers. I sang to Carter with that same loving feeling and felt the spirit of the Lord in the room with me. I sat there with Carter unable to fully comprehend the meaning of those words and how such a sweet chorus could have so much depth. This beautiful baby was a sweet and helpless little person. The moment was so amazing but so simple. That tiny child was the Savior-the most influential person to ever walk the earth-but that night He was Mary's baby.

I continued on to sing the first verse, then I began to feel the emotion of the second verse as I began to sing:

Away spectered future of sorrow and plight,

Away to the years that must follow tonight.

The pangs of Gethsamane, let them be dim,

The red drops on Calvary, not Lord, for Him.

I focused on these words and started to cry. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be holding my baby, knowing that he would one day save all mankind. I wondered what she knew as His mother. I wondered if she knew the details of how He would become our loving Savior who sacrificed everything for us in the way that He did. I think of her singing these words and how, in the moment, the terrible things that He would experience were something she wasn't going to focus on. In this song she knew they would happen, but for now He was her baby. As a mother, I can't imagine being in Mary's place. There is a reason she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior and she is truly inspiring. This was a role that only she could fill.

As I sat there rocking Carter, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming love for him which, in turn, made me feel an overwhelming love for my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. I don't know if it's because the holidays are fast approaching and I have Christmas on my mind. But tonight, that song brought a greater meaning, and I felt the spirit so strongly in Carter's room. It was wonderful and just what I needed. In one simple moment, I gained a greater appreciation for the atoning sacrifice the Savior made for us and how we can live with Him again. I'm grateful for such a sweet experience to remind me what this life is really about.

image via Our Contest Nest