“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

I remember many years ago, when I was twelve, holding my baby cousin on Christmas day. The adults were sitting around the table chatting and laughing over empty plates while the kids ran through the house playing games. As I sat rocking my cousin, I remembered the verse from Luke 2:19: ” But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” We were walking through some hard days in my family, but I remember thinking how happy I was at that moment. True joy and laughter filled the house, and I didn’t want to forget that feeling.

Building Traditions

Flash forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas morning when my kids were little. Every Christmas Eve, we hosted friends and family for dinner after the candlelight service at church. It was exhausting and sometimes a bit stressful, but I always loved hearing the laughter and chatter from the adults talking and watching the kids run around and play games. Some years, life was a bit harder than other years, but there are so many memories that we still talk about each Christmas Eve.

Over the years, after everyone left, we developed a tradition of reading Twas the Night before Christmas with our children. We wanted to end the day in our pajamas, just us sitting around the Christmas tree. And on Christmas morning, my husband would go to our kids’ rooms, pick them up, and carry them to our room. We would all cuddle together on our bed and read the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2:1-21. I think that was always my favorite part of Christmas morning. No matter what was happening in our lives, I sat quietly, taking in the moment with my family, feeling the warmth of our traditions and the joy of being together.

The Birth of Jesus

Luke writes in Luke 2:4-20 NIV, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlhem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Mary Treasures the Moments

I don’t know about you, but this passage always takes my breath away. Think about it for a minute. Things for Joseph and Mary were not ideal. They had traveled many hard miles while she was at the end of her pregnancy. Luke tells us that they were pledged to be married and that Mary didn’t deliver in the comforts of a house. Instead, she placed Him in a manager, a trough used to feed the animals that were likely around her in the barn.

Then we see the shepherds busy caring for their sheep when the night sky is lit up by an angel surrounded by a heavenly host declaring the birth of Jesus. Quickly, the shepherds went to see the baby the angels had told them about. When they found the baby, they couldn’t help but go and tell others. Luke doesn’t tell us if the people came to see Jesus, but we know the shepherds returned. I imagine this had to be a lot for Mary. My goodness, here she was, a humble girl who now found herself the mom of the Messiah. But in the bigness of the moment, Mary took the time to sit and savor the moment, showing us all the power of resilience and the ability to find joy amid challenges.

Jump forward twelve years later, and we see in Luke 2:41-52 that Mary again takes time to treasure the moments she experienced with Jesus when she and Joseph found Jesus in the temple, sitting with and learning from the teachers and then later as they returned to Nazareth. In the chaos of the emotions of first losing and then finding her son and then watching Him grow and gain wisdom, she took the time to take it all in to remember those special moments.

Taking Time to Treasure our Moments

One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is sit in front of the Christmas tree in the early, quiet morning hours while it’s still dark outside. I open my Bible, study God’s Word, and listen for Him to speak gently to my heart. I then reflect on the gifts from the day before and ask the Lord to quiet my spirit for the day to come. In this crazy, busy season, I want to make sure I don’t lose sight of Jesus and all that His birth meant. In these moments of reflection, I find peace no matter what I may be facing.

And friend, my challenge for you today is to sit and treasure this season’s beauty. The reality is that life isn’t perfect. We may be walking through hard days. But, despite those hard days, may we take a moment to enjoy our kids’ excitement of the season. May we sit in the quiet of the early morning hours, reading our Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit speak gently to our hearts. And may we make time to treasure this all in our hearts as we thank God for His gifts each day and for the ultimate gift of Jesus.

In His Calm,