Mary, Did You Know? A Song Invites Us to Wonder

Debra Flaming
Dec 29, 2025
5 min read

There are certain moments during the Christmas season that quietly settle into the heart and refuse to leave.

This year, one of those moments came through a song—Mary, Did You Know?—and through the voice of my granddaughter.

She loves this song. Not just the melody, but the wonder of it. The questions it asks. The mystery it holds. She has been learning a condensed version of it, singing with a sincerity that only a child can bring. Watching her sing it stirred something in me—a desire not just to listen, but to join her.

So I sat down at the piano and worked through the chords, learning to play it so that if she wants to sing, I can accompany her.

It felt like a gift.

A Song That Invites Us to Wonder

Originally written by Mark Lowry in 1985 and set to music by Buddy Greene, Mary, Did You Know? has endured because it invites us to pause and wonder.

Not rush. Not explain. But wonder.

It asks us to step into Mary’s place—not with hindsight, but with humility. To imagine holding a newborn child while heaven’s plan quietly unfolds.

This week, I listened to a breathtaking rendition by Tommee Profitt—a version that feels reverent, cinematic, and deeply moving. I’ve shared that video below, and I encourage you to listen when you have a quiet moment.

The Sacredness of a Vulnerable Beginning

One of the reasons Mary, Did You Know? continues to move us is because it centers on a truth we are so quick to overlook: Jesus came to us as a vulnerable baby.

Helpless. Dependent. In need of arms to hold Him, eyes to see Him, and a heart willing to ponder who He truly was.

Scripture tells us that Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart. She looked at her child with wonder, not interruption. With awe, not distraction.

And it makes me wonder—how moved are we when we hold a baby?

Do we pause long enough to consider that every child is created in the image and likeness of God? That every life carries immeasurable worth, purpose, and dignity—long before achievement, talent, or success ever enters the picture?

Jesus did not enter the world as a king on a throne. He came as a child in need of love.

When Children Are Crying Out to Be Seen

A story I heard recently stopped me in my tracks. It revealed something painful and important about how deeply children long to be seen—and what can happen when they are not.

A mother shared about attending a youth soccer game with her family. They cheered loudly and joyfully for their six-year-old son. At halftime, a boy from the opposing team walked over, formed his hands into the shape of guns, and pretended to shoot her—speaking words filled with anger and violence.

It was shocking. And heartbreaking.

Where were his parents? Sitting on the sidelines, both deeply engrossed in their phones. They never noticed. They missed it all.

That moment wasn’t just about misbehavior. It was about a child desperate to be seen.

Children are crying out for love, validation, and attention—sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, and sometimes in ways that harm themselves or others. When they are not given intentional presence, they will demand attention in whatever way they can.

Looking at Our Children with Intention

This song invites us to ask hard questions—not just of Mary, but of ourselves.

Do we look at our children and grandchildren with intention? Do we see them as sacred gifts—or as interruptions to our schedules? Do we pause long enough to truly see who they are becoming?

Mary did not know all that lay ahead—but she paid attention. She held her child with reverence. And God Himself entrusted His Son to that kind of love.

If God chose to enter the world through vulnerability, through dependence, through the arms of a mother—then surely how we treat the children in our care matters deeply to Him.

A Call to Presence

Mary, Did You Know? isn’t just a question about the past. It is a question for today.

Do we know who our children are? Do we see them?

Because when children are truly seen—deeply loved and fully known—they flourish. And when they are not, they will search for that validation in ways that break hearts.

This season, may we put down what distracts us. May we open our arms, our eyes, and our hearts. May we remember that every child we hold, teach, or encounter bears the image of God Himself.

A Closing Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for coming to us in humility—as a child, vulnerable and dependent, wrapped not in power, but in love.

Open our eyes to see the children in our lives as You see them—created in Your image, worthy of attention, tenderness, and care.

Teach us to slow down, to set aside distraction, and to be fully present with those You have entrusted to us.

Where there is weariness, give patience. Where there is brokenness, bring healing.

Where there is longing to be seen, let love answer.

Help us to treasure these moments, to ponder them in our hearts, and to reflect Your grace through our words, our presence, and our love.

We offer You our children, our families, and our hearts, trusting You to guide us in the season ahead.

Amen.

Lyrics Mary Did You Know

[Verse 1] Mary, did you know