What must it have been like to be Mary and Joseph? I have heard people refer to their lives as a rollercoaster ride. Mary and Joseph’s “ride” was filled with twists, turns, corkscrews, steep climbs and nerve wracking descents. God was taking them on a journey they could never have anticipated. Never.
Two lines and two verbs struck me as I read this morning. Verse 19: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. And verse 33: The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Somehow amidst the ride of their lives Joseph and Mary were able to slow down long enough to treasure the things they saw, heard and experienced and to marvel at the words spoken about their son Jesus.
Marvel and treasure; treasure and marvel… fantastic words for this time of year as we near the celebration of Jesus’ birthday.
As I am thinking these thoughts and writing these words, the Spirit reminds me I, too, can treasure and marvel the things of Jesus if I will slow down and create space for them.
Marvel at the many events I have read about in just the last two mornings… angelic visitations; prophecies; barren wombs given children; faithful servants struck speechless and then after a faithful response, speech is restored all that in chapter 1. Then we have angelic choirs, outcast shepherds, and old saints speaking blessings. And I am only 2 chapters into Jesus’ story. I can marvel at the great lengths to which God went to announce the coming of the incarnate Jesus, His son, into our world! Marvel … yes, that is a correct word… marvel at all God had done.
Treasure, that pushes the equations further. Treasure implies savoring with personal joy and even personal affirmation. I marvel when I sit at an airport watching those huge planes take off and land. I marvel when I watch a professional wood-turner take a chunk of wood, place it on a lathe and turn a delicate wooden bowl. I marveled when I saw Michelangelo’s Pieta many years ago, even though I was only a young kid, I was amazed by its beauty and lifelike appearance. It was as if the stone breathed. But really I have no skin in any of these games, no personal investment.
For me to ‘treasure’ something is to bring it into my life, to make it personal. Maybe I am splitting hairs with words but in my musings, I see a difference. I marveled at the birth of my kids, I treasure them as I invest in their lives and help them grow…
Anyway, God is inviting me to both marvel at all He has done and to treasure it, to bring it into my life where He can make a difference in how I live.
To marvel and treasure I must slow down and invest time in my relationship with my Lord.
Lord God, I seek to slow portions of my day to give you space to enter in, to show me what You have done and what You are doing in life, even in my life. And, Lord, I offer you this time and space so that I might marvel at who You are and what You do. I offer You space and time in my life so that I might treasure the gift I have through faith in Jesus… in whose name I pray. Amen.
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