I have not been able to get the verse in Luke 2 out of my head for days now. In my mind, I can see Mary watching, thinking, pondering, quiet. The Bible says she treasured "these things" in her heart. What things? The stress of labor and delivery in a stable? The long journey in the final weeks of pregnancy? The irreparable damage to her reputation and town gossip from having a baby out of wedlock? The smell of manure? You know what? The more I think about it, I do think she was treasuring it all in her heart. Not just the cool visit from the shepherds. Not just knowing she was holding the Messiah. All of it. The good. The bad. The uncertainty. All of it.
That's what I've been doing this past week. I've been treasuring things in my heart. All of them. Whether I've enjoyed it all or not, the events of these past 40 years are those God marked out for me. No more. No less. Nothing has come to pass in my life that is not from his hand. Nothing ever will. None of the pain has been for nothing. None of my failures are beyond redemption. Mine is a small story of redemption in an epic history of redemption, but to me...it's pretty big.
And so, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
And Patti kept all these things and treasured them in her heart.
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It's always fun to get comments, but if you post anonymously, I don't know who you are! It would be super if you would leave your name.