Pondering...

​But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19

It was my first year in ministry.  After the Christmas Day service was over we packed up the minivan and started the seven-hour drive to my parents’ home.  We thought that we would eat Christmas dinner on the road at some fast-food place. The one thing we didn’t consider was that most fast-food places are closed on Christmas Day. We took some detours trying to find anything open, finally ended up having our Christmas dinner at a gas station enjoying microwaved burritos and cold sandwiches. But our kids thought it was an adventure. We hopped in the van for the rest of the drive laughing about our wonderful(?) Christmas dinner!

When we were about an hour from my parents’ home, we were having a great family discussion when I saw blue lights in my rearview mirror. I was being pulled over for speeding on Christmas Eve day on the South Dakota Interstate. The patrolman gave me a warning, told me to drive safely, and we were on our way driving the speed limit and showing up to my parents an hour late. A longer than expected drive, eating gas station food, and getting pulled over.  What a Christmas Day!  Yet 20 years later, this is one of the best Christmas memories for our family.

Mary had been through a lot! From the appearing of the angel giving her the life changing news that she would give birth to God's own Son, to the shame that was placed on her by others when they learned she was pregnant before she was married, to the long travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the last weeks of her pregnancy because of some government mandate, to not having a place to stay in Bethlehem, to having unexpected guests show up to see the new baby shortly after it was born. It had been a long, difficult, nine months. “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” She pondered that God was up to something great. She pondered that this child she gave birth to was sent from God and was God in the flesh. She pondered that God's promise salvation had come into the world!

Sometime following the busyness of Christmas, I encourage you to take some time to ponder.  Ponder what God did for the world 2000 years ago.  Ponder what God has done for you in Christ through the waters of baptism bringing you into His family.  Ponder what God will do through you as you raise your family, live in your community, at your job.  Ponder even the difficulties you face and how He is at work through them to reveal His goodness and glory to you and others.

My son and his wife that live in Alabama will be making a Christmas Day drive to our place.  I pray that it all goes well, that they don’t have to eat gas station burritos or get pulled over for speeding.  Most of all, I pray that during the drive, they ponder together the great things our God has done for them and all people through Jesus our Savior!

​In His Peace,
Pastor Cory

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