Imagine Kissing the Face of God

A few days ago I received a Christmas card from a dear friend, with the sweet picture below on front. It's the perfect image to introduce today's poem...

 

OH! TO KISS THE FACE OF GOD

 

The first time

I heard, “Mary, Did You Know?”

is permanently etched in my mind

 

I was folding clothes in the bedroom

listening to “Let It Grow”

Pastor Charlie Rizzo’s

Christian call-in radio program

At a break, he introduced a Christmas song

by Mark Lowry, written by Lowry in 1984

 

Immediately, the music and lyrics

drew me in and I visualized

the young virgin-mother, Mary

cradling baby Jesus

as Lowry sang of wonders

her boy would grow to perform

wonders, like walking on water

and saving us, and even

…this child that you delivered

will soon deliver you

 

Oh! I broke out in goosebumps—

 

Mary did you know

that your baby boy will

give sight to a blind man

…calm a storm with his hand

 

and when Lowry sang

…And when you kiss your little baby

you’ve kissed the face of God

 

that did it—

Tears welled in my eyes

and trickled down my cheeks

 

Mary kissed the baby face of God!

 

Then he went on singing, Mary did you know…

that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you’re holding

is the great I Am

 

Oh! What an awesome privilege

to be the mother of the Savior

 

It was a few weeks before Christmas

Pastor Rizzo aired the song

a few more times

Each time, tears flowed

 

Soon music stations began playing the song

Sometimes it was performed

by other recording artists

 

The business manager where I worked

knew the song was meaningful to me

One day he surprised me with a gift—

the song on CD by Kenny Rogers

 

Then my daughter-in-law-to-be, Omayra,

aware of how much I loved it

arranged to have it sung

at their wedding

That was special, indeed!

 

Never has a song

touched me as that one

has touched me—

Never before have there been lyrics

I wished I’d penned myself

 

It thoroughly blesses my heart

to imagine the virgin

holding her swaddled son in her arms

oblivious to what their future would hold

putting tender lips to his tiny cheek, and

kissing…softly kissing

the holy face of God!

 

Maude Carolan Pych

Note: I've written a book of poems about the Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is titled, "Behold the Lamb...poetically!" and is available online at Amazon & Barnes and Noble. For more information, visit my website at www.maudecarolanpych.net.