Mary Pondered All These Things in Her Heart

During this time of preparing for Christmas we sit with Mary and behold the face of her Son.

(photo: Photo credit: Mary Rose Verret)

What must Mary have felt watching the sweet little breaths of her newborn as He slept? Drink it in with your spirit. Absorb with your heart. Be present. Don’t “check out” of life. Live in the moment. None of these phrases perfectly describe the depth of what Mary meditated upon as she held her child. She pondered ALL these things in her heart. Not just the chilling future but the warmth of the present moment.

There are chores to be done, phone calls to return, bills to pay, messes to clean, doctor’s appointments, school, a broken washing machine, the insurance can’t get a bill right... I could easily forget to stop and drink in the sweet splendor of our newest child Maelle Therese. I would never have these moments back. Drink it in with your spirit. Ponder these things in your heart. Live in the moment. Don’t just endure it. Drink it in. God is in this moment. He is in this chaos.

Children grow older, make mistakes, break your heart, teach you how to love, and light up your world. Drink in this moment and you will always have precious moments to reflect back on. A photo cannot capture those memories - only you can. I don’t want to forget to notice the way the peach fuzz on her ears catches the light, how her tiny fist clenches and then unclenches, her little squeaks and grunts,  watching her pulse beat in the soft spot on the top of her head, the dimples on her knuckles, her hands sprawled out atop her head while she sleeps, the way her eye lids flicker and a little smile passes on her cheek while she sleeps. Pictures cannot capture these.  These are the moments that are meant to be drunk in with your spirit. Pondered in your heart.

During this time of preparing for Christmas I sit with Mary and behold the face of her Son. She teaches me to love, to sacrifice, and to ponder His love. And I behold the gift of this child in my arms. Her child died for me. Lord prepare my heart to receive you as we receive this newest child in our family. May I be attentive to the things about you that I can only know when I stop and ponder these things in my heart with your mother Mary.

Tonight I walk outside under a full moon with our baby on a mild Louisiana night. In the bright night I see in the moonlight her eyelashes and glowing cheeks. I imagine Mary under the Star of Bethlehem looking at her newborn Son in the starlight. Peace amid tnd the evil and chaos of the world that He came to save. She pondered all the same things about her baby Son. Her Son who would save the world. Christ is the brightest light on the darkest night. Be a light in my heart that I might witness your love to the world. Lord light our way in this dark world. Like Mary may we never lose hope. Never.