The Treasure of Christmas

In the Christmas story, I like how Luke used the phrase, "All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured those things in heart and thought about them often." (Luke 2:19)

The King James says, "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

It means that year after year she thought about the events leading to the first Christmas -- how she was chosen to participate in God's story of salvation, how God brought everything together, how she witnessed firsthand that, like the angel had said to her many months before, "Nothing is impossible for God." (Luke 1:37)

Mary's example is good one to follow. We should remember to treasure these things and think about them often. There are so many lessons to be learned the nativity story.

● From the wisemen we learn that God speaks to anyone who will listen, and he leads anyone who is willing to follow.

● From Mary and Joseph we learn what it means to fully submit to the will of God. We learn that obedience takes courage, and that it's better to obey God than worry about what others think or say.

● From the shepherds -- those minimum wage workers who were watching sheep late in the night -- we learn that no one is too poor or too insignificant to have a personal experience with God.

● Even from cruel Herod, we are reminded of how foolish it is to try to hinder the purpose of God.

Most of all, from Jesus, we learn that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

We're beginning a busy season of the year -- stressful sometimes, hectic, and financially challenging. Follow Mary's example: Remember to remember the first Christmas. Treasuring the story, think about it often, ponder its meaning in your heart.