Catherine Hickem - Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What It Means for You

PRAISE FOR CATHERINE HICKEM AND
HEAVEN IN HER ARMS

The angelic message to Mary totally turned her world upside down. She was a gentle, reflective young woman who, dare I say, was also gutsy in her bravery. Reading Catherine Hickems book encouraged, challenged, and inspired me about how to live my faith more exuberantly. Catherines unique insights provide compelling reasons to see Mary as a valuable role model for all circumstances whether theyre upside down or right side up. I am honored to commend this book to you; quite simply, it is brilliant.

Marilyn Meberg, Women of
Faith speaker and author of
numerous books, including her
newest title Constantly Craving

Catherine is a lovely combination of wisdom and grace. Shes the kind of spiritual mentor you not only learn from, but also want to hang out with at Starbucks!

Lisa Harper, author and
Women of Faith speaker

Heaven in Her Arms

Heaven in Her Arms

Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son
and What It Means for You

CATHERINE HICKEM

2012 by Catherine Hickem

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Names and identifying details have been changed, when appropriate, to protect the identities of those discussed in this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hickem, Catherine, 1958
Heaven in her arms : why God chose Mary to raise his son and what it means for you / by Catherine Hickem.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4002-0036-8 (alk. paper)
1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint. I. Title.
BT603.H53 2011
232.91dc23

2011026710

Printed in the United States of America

12 13 14 15 16 QG 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my parents, Harold and Mary Ann Taylor, the first
people who taught me how much Jesus loves me and who
have lived lives reflective of Him every day of my life

CONTENTS

1 Love in the Rearview Mirror
Mary Knew God Looks at the Heart

2 A Womans Greatest Battle
Mary Knew She Couldnt Embrace Her Fears

3 There Are No Accidents
Mary Knew God as Master Designer

4 The True Meaning of Questions
Mary Knew She Could Ask God Questions

5 In Over Her Head
Mary Knew She Could Not Parent Jesus on Her Own

6 The Power of a Selfless Life
Mary Knew Her Life Was Not Her Own

7 Smart Women Know They Need Other Women
Mary Knew She Needed Support

8 Marys True LegacyHer Faith
Mary Knew Faith Would Be Her Witness

9 A Bold Declaration
Mary Knew to Have a Heart of Praise

10 Embracing the Unknown
Mary Knew Being a Mother Would Take Her to Difficult Places

11 A Reflective Heart
Mary Knew She Needed to Ponder

12 The Gift of Obedience
Mary Knew Obeying God Would Have Its Rewards

13 When All You Can Give Is Yourself
Mary Knew to Be There When Things Got Tough

14 Every Womans Challenge Is Letting Go
Mary Knew She Would Have to Let Her Son Fulfill His Purpose

15 Some Things Never Change
Mary Knew to Stay Connected

16 Holding On When the Darkness Comes
Mary Knew to Trust God with All Things and with Her Child

17 The Importance of Staying Connected to God
Mary Knew to Be a Woman of Prayer

A s a little girl, I would get excited when the Christmas season arrived. Like most children anticipating the big day, I loved all the activities leading up to Christmas. Decorating the tree, baking cookies, and singing Christmas carols were just a few of the rituals I looked forward to with my family.

While the activities were filled with fun and enlivened the holiday, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas took precedence. My father was the pastor of our church and understood the significance of using the Christmas season to love on people who might be alone, invisible, or hurting. As a result, the church calendar was packed with opportunities to celebrate the birth of Jesus and take the good news of His nativity to those in our community who were less fortunate.

Most years, prior to Christmas, our church had a pageant. I would sit in the pew next to my mom, transfixed as each character entered the church, as if the story were unfolding for the first time. Stillness filled the air, a reverence for the most significant event in history. I can still remember my little heart beating quickly, fascinated that kings would bow to a baby.

While I adored the nativity story, I was most fascinated with Mary, the mother of Jesus. I secretly wished I could play her role, even though I was a child myself. I was drawn to this woman, the only female mentioned in the birth scriptures, who year after year reminded us of the humanity of Jesus birth and life. I felt pulled toward the vulnerable state of her pregnancy, her youthfulness, and the mystery of her selection as mother to the Son of God.

This strong alliance with Mary served to solidify my deep longing to be a mother myself. I was an only child for six years, and as a result, I had to learn how to play by myself. Nine times out of ten, I would play with my dolls, each of whom had a name, a story, and a personality. More than anything in the world, I wanted to be a mother when I got older. That deep urge never left me for a moment and would become a driving force in my life.

As I grew, I noticed that Mary was rarely mentioned. Occasionally, her name would come up when someone taught on the wedding in Cana, or the cross, when Jesus gave her care and protection over to His disciple John. But she was never the center of a story, just an appendage to the central truth being taught, unless it was at Christmas. Even then, she was never fully acknowledged for who she was and what God saw in her.

As the years went by and I became familiar with the differences in the ways people celebrate their faith, I noticed a tension between Protestants and Catholics regarding Marys role. The Catholic faith enthusiastically embraces Mary and places great priority on her role. She is viewed as the mother of not only the Son of God, but of God. Her place in the Catholic Church is sacred, second only to that of Christ Himself.