"Mary, Did You Know?" ~ the Story and the Song

This song was sang at church during the Christmas play last week (the 13th). And it really got me to thinking. Did Mary know? I mean, she knew who He was, but how much of what He would go on to do did she know? 

Seeing as how this song was written by my favorite comedian, I decided to share the story behind it. :) 

//The Song//

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know, that your Baby Boy
Has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered, 
Will soon deliver you. 

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Would calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know, that your Baby Boy
Has walked where angels trod 

And when you kiss your little Baby, 
You've kissed the face of God? 

Oh, Mary, did you know? 

Mary, did you know? 

The blind will see, the deaf will hear,
The dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak,
Praises of the lamb? 

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know, that your Baby Boy
Will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping Child you're holding
Is the Great I AM! 

//The Story//

 In 1984, while living in Houston, Mark Lowry was asked by his pastor to write the program for their living Christmas tree choir presentation. They always sang the traditional Christmas carols, so Mark's job was to write the bridges to connect them. 

  It was while he was working on the project that Mark considered what it would have been like to have been Jesus' mother. 

 "When I wrote this thing about Mary," Mark explained. "I began by thinking I was interviewing her on her thoughts of being a mother to Jesus. A couple of the lines really stood out, like 'when you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.' I just thought this needed to be a song." 

 Keeping the perspective of a reporter doing a story on Jesus from Mary's viewpoint, Mary penned a poem that sent chills up his spine. Still, taking those powerful lyrics and turning them into a full-blown song was a bigger challenge than even he could have expected. Although he gave the words to a solid music writer, he wasn't happy with the results; the melody didn't have the right feel. Filing "Mary, Did You Know?" away, Mark decided to wait on the Lord's timing rather than put his lyrics to music that failed to move him. 

 Mark joined the Gaither Vocal Band in 1988. Two years later, Buddy Green, a songwriter and talented musican, also joined the band. 

 Deciding to share "Mary, Did You Know?" with Buddy, Mark wrote the following words at the top of the lyrics and gave them to him. "Buddy, here are some God-inspired words. Please add some beautiful music and make it a profitable hit." 

 Though Mark meant it as a joke, Green took the whole thing very seriously. After setting the lyrics aside for a few weeks, he set to work. 

 One day, after finishing this project, Buddy called Mark on the phone and began singing the song to him! Mark loved it and within a week they had put together a "jam box" demo to give to one of their favorite artists....

 Looking at the world through his unique, God-given perspective led him to think of one of the world's most familiar stories in a new light. "Mary, Did You Know?" a song like no other Christmas carol 

ever penned, written about a mother like no other, came from the hand of a man like no other. 

***Wording in italics are direct excerpts from "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" by Ace Collins. Ordinary type is parts of the story in my own words. ***

Have you heard this song? 

Do you like it?

Before reading this, did you know the story behind it? 

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely day. :) 

~Faith