Treasured Pondering

 This time of year is always FULL! Full of stress, chaos, projects, holiday events, and all other manner of madness. This time of year also happens to be when the Lord seems to speak new and exciting things into my spiritual life... as if I have the time to process new things right now. Often these full and exciting times so overwhelm me, I don't even know how to respond to them. 

Lately, one verse in particular has been present in my mind. "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19, KJV) Other versions say Mary treasured these things. To treasure something is "to keep carefully, as a valued item," and to ponder is "to think about something carefully." One commentator states that Mary "could not as yet understand all that had been said and done, but she received it in faith, and waited until it should be made clear." (Ellicott's Commentary)

I don't know about you, but when I am in the middle of chaos, I very rarely take the time to stop, think, and meditate. (Please don't ask me how long I procrastinated in writing this post). However one truth that we see written throughout scripture, time and again, is that God meets us in silence.

In 1 Kings 19:12, the Lord met Elijah at the top of a mountain. While waiting there for God to show up, Elijah experienced all variety of natural elements. First a "great and strong wind" appeared, so strong that it was actually destroying the mountain and breaking rock into pieces. But that was not God. Then there was an earthquake. The earth literally broke apart and trembled, yet that was not God either. After the earthquake was a fire--hot, burning, glorious, and painful. But even still, God was not in the fire. Finally the Lord did appear! Not in the chaos, not in the beautiful power of destruction, but the Lord appeared in the silence--in a gentle blowing wind. I believe that what the Lord was (silently) saying in that moment was, "Be STILL and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Are you in the middle of chaos right now too? I think we all are. Take some time to be still. It's hard, I know! Trust me, I know! But chaos can be a precious time of learning too. Let's learn from Mary, who took time to ponder and treasure what God spoke to her. If we don't take the time to be still in the middle of these moments, we may miss a valuable opportunity to experience the sweetness of God's presence. 

"Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace"

~"Silent Night" by Joseph Mohr & Frans Gruber, 1818