But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:19 NIV

I fumed in frustration as we sat on the tarmac awaiting clearance for take-off. I could see from my window two mechanics working on the jet engine hanging from the wing on my side of the plane. It wasn’t just the forty-five minutes of waiting that bothered me but also the worry of missing our connecting flight and the feeling of things being out of control in my life.

As Mary pulled the blankets up around her hoping to get some sleep while Jesus dozed in the manger on that first Christmas night, we would certainly have understood if she had felt that way too. After all, she had just traveled 90 miles by donkey while being nine months pregnant. Then, after they arrived in Bethlehem no one had any room for them to stay, so she was forced to give birth in a stable. Finally, just as her newborn baby had settled down and to sleep, a crowd of shepherds stampeded in and began singing and shouting something about angels. Wow what a night! Maybe some of us would have just simply broken down in tears at that point. But the Bible tells us that instead, Mary took time to think about all those things which, were entirely beyond her control. Then instead of complaining, she treasured them in her heart. Mary remembered that everything that had happened that night was because God had promised her a miracle child and on that day she had said, “May it be according to your word.” She knew that even though she wasn’t in control: God was. She knew that regardless of what things looked like from the outside; God was working everything for good. By the way, we had a safe flight; our plane still landed right on time and God taught me that every day is a treasure when we trust in His control.

Mary’s Treasure by Peter Caligiuri 2020 All rights reserved