Thursday, December 25, 2014

I trust you are having a wonderful Christmas. Did you make time to reflect on what Christmas is to be all about? Following the visit of the shepherds that first Christmas over 2000 years ago it says that Mary “treasured up all these things (that she had seen, heard and experienced) and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I would encourage you to do the same. Ask yourself if you have become aware of anything new during your celebration this year. If you did discover something new, what difference should it make in your worship? In your walk? In your work for God? There is no indication in Luke’s account that Mary did anything different. She just treasured everything and pondered it in her heart. Sometimes that’s all God requires of us. Mary had just gone through labor and delivery. Prior to that she had endured a long, hard journey from Galilee to Bethlehem. She was weary and worn out. She had her hands full just trying to care for her baby. But she made time to reflect on who her baby was. What kind of impact was his life going to make on her life? On her society? On her world? Many a mother or father have had similar thoughts upon the birth of a child. Mary was not entirely in the dark. The angel had revealed information to her and her husband. Now shepherds added information. She did the right thing – she pondered all this in her heart and treasured it. Let me encourage you to review again the Christmas story and make time to meditate upon it.