What Mary's Story Teaches Me About Motherhood & Faith

Today is my oldest son’s twentieth birthday.
Twenty! 2-0!
How can that be? I mean, I can’t be more than 29 myself, right? At least, that’s when I stopped counting the years…

As I reflect on my own journey into motherhood—pregnancy, anticipation, and the moment my son came into the world—I can’t help but think of another young mother, one whose story changed history.

What must it have been like for Mary to know she was carrying the Son of God? Historians suggest Mary was between 12 and 14 when Jesus was born. While that was the norm in her culture and time, I cannot fathom what that must have been like. She was still just a child herself—at least by today’s standards.

Can you imagine the first time she felt Jesus kick? Imagine the full realization settling in—that God was following through on what the angel had promised:

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
— Luke 1:28–35, NIV

Can you imagine hearing those words as a young girl? The weight of divine purpose and the mystery of how it would all unfold?

While it was reassuring to know this was all part of God’s plan, Mary was still a young woman with emotions, hormones, and fears. As she and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem, I wonder what was going through her mind. And then, to find themselves in the most unlikely of places for the King of the World to be born—that must have stirred confusion, perhaps even doubt.

Yet Mary was faithful. She trusted God. She took Him at His word. And not only that, she praised Him for it all:

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name…”
— Luke 1:46–55, NIV (excerpt)

As I watch my son step into adulthood, I find myself marveling—not just at how fast time has passed—but at the sacredness of it all. The ordinary moments that become beautiful memories. The tears, the laughter, the prayers whispered in the dark when no one else could see.

Mary’s story reminds me that motherhood is more than diapers and sleepless nights. It’s an act of trust. A daily surrender. A holy calling. Whether we carry the Son of God or raise our own sons and daughters in faith, each life is a miracle. Each child a promise.

But the more I reflect on Mary’s story, the more I see that it isn’t just about the miracle of Jesus’ birth—it’s also a model for what it means to mother with faith, even through uncertainty, fear, and change.

Lessons from Mary’s Story

1. Surrender Doesn’t Mean Certainty

Mary said yes to God without knowing how everything would unfold. She stepped forward in faith, not because she had all the answers, but because she trusted the One who called her.

Motherhood often feels like this. We make decisions without knowing outcomes. We let go, into God’s hands, what we cannot control.

2. God Uses the Ordinary to Do the Extraordinary

Mary didn’t hold a position of power, yet she was chosen for a divine purpose. Her life teaches us that God delights in using ordinary people and everyday faithfulness to fulfill extraordinary plans.

3. Faith is Lived in Community

Mary went to see Elizabeth. She didn’t walk alone. She leaned into the wisdom and support of someone who believed in God’s promise, too.

We need each other. In motherhood and in faith, we grow stronger when we share our stories and walk together.

4. Pain is Part of the Promise

Simeon told Mary, “A sword will pierce your own soul.” She would one day witness her son suffer. Her faith didn’t shield her from grief—it helped her walk through it.

Raising children means opening our hearts to both love and pain. But in every season, God is near.

5. Worship realigns us with truth.

Mary responded to uncertainty with praise. Her song declared God’s greatness before she saw how His plan would unfold.

Worship grounds us when everything feels shaky. It turns our eyes from fear to faith, from chaos to Christ.

6. God’s Timing Doesn’t Always Match Our Expectations

Mary lived much of her life not fully seeing the impact of her obedience.
As parents, we may not see the harvest immediately—but we’re called to sow, to love, and to trust that God is at work beneath the surface. He’s always on time, even when we’re still waiting.

Today, I celebrate twenty years of grace, growth, and God’s unwavering presence through it all. Like Mary, I don’t have all the answers. But I have a Savior who walks with me through every chapter of this journey. And like her, my soul glorifies the Lord.