And Mary Pondered

It is the Eve of Christmas Eve.
I sit in my living-room. Fire burning in the wood-stove. Room lit by the lights of the Christmas tree. My dog curled up, asleep on her pillow. Peaceful.
I sit and ponder.
I've always liked that word for some reason.

Ponder.

Maybe because if I hear it, I think back to the times in my childhood when I heard the story of Jesus' birth read from the Bible.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, heard the reports of the shepherds in the fields that night. Reports of angels appearing and declaring amazing things about her son. That the Messiah, the Savior, Lord, had been born. Her baby. The Messiah.
Angels sang out and the glory of the Lord shone all around them. A mind-blowing, extraordinary scene to be sure.

And Mary pondered.
I would have too.
What a stunning evening. Tiring. Emotionally exhausting. Awesome.
When the heavenly met the earthly; when light banished darkness; when angels sang and humans heard; when a baby cried and salvation came.

And Mary pondered.

Her boy.
Her miraculous son.

The Prince of Heaven.
The Lion.
The Light of the World.
The Lamb.
The Shepherd.
The King.
The Servant.
The baby in the manger.
The Savior on the cross.
The One who was, who is, and who is to come.

Take a moment to absorb. To wonder. To treasure the truth in your heart.
Ponder. Think carefully about it.
Think deeply about it.
Jesus came. He lived. He loved. He died. He loved. He rose. He saved. Because He loved.

Stand with the angels and declare,
"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." (Revelation 4:8)
Sing with the hymn writer, who penned "Joy to the world! The Lord is come!" (Isaac Watts)

Because the Christmas story isn't over yet.