Sunday, December 12, 2010

Sunday Afternoon Tea

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

I love this verse, it may be the one I think of the most throughout the year (along with "He knows we are made of dust").  For different reasons, of course.  :)

I have had two seasons of Advent with an infant in my home.  Two cold, blustery winters sitting beside the Christmas tree holding a wee baby close, gazing at the lovely lights and ornaments.

I could not help but think of Mary as Christmas approached..  I pondered what it must have been like for her, for Joseph, for her mother and her father and her family and her neighbors.

I was raised in a small town.  People talk in small towns.  Gossip is brutal enough when it is false but who would believe in a virgin birth?  I love country ways and country people and have returned to them in my own life but one cannot lose themselves in the midst of crowds as one can in a city.

When we lived in Detroit, surrounded by millions of people, it was easy to blend in with the crowd... but not in Nazareth.  Certainly to those who wondered... if He were truly the longed for and anticipated Messiah then He would not be born among the animals.  Except... did she herself understand He was to be the Lamb who would give His life... someday?

What must it have been like for her as she hears of the glories and the sorrows which will befall her and the God child?   For she pondered not only the good and the precious in her heart but she could not avoid the warnings of Simeon and the knowledge of what lays ahead... not the exact events which will occur or the hows and whens of those events... but as a shadow over her days she knows something is coming... and she pondered it all.

I can see her, kneading bread and watching the little Jesus playing in the sand... the very dirt He created.  I can see her thanking God for the rain in due season and realizing the God she was thanking was manifested in the boy-child... the teenager... the young man... the One she loved as only a mother loves her child.

She said yes...to the path God asked her to walk... her entire life would be a wonderment of Waiting and Birth and Angels and Shepherds and Wise Men and Egypt and Gossip and Bewilderment and Joy and Pain and Water turned into Wine and the Cross and a Resurrection and an Upper Room and an infant Church.  All because she said... yes.

Would I say yes?  Yes to the path He has chosen for me to walk and yes to being His voice in a weary world and yes to following His ways and yes to raising children to know Him and yes to letting Him mold me and shape me into His image of who I can be... even though it hurts... a lot.  Yes...

14 comments:

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Lovely post, Brenda.

I ponder these things in my heart as well....

Anonymous said...

Great post Brenda! I often ponder about Mary at Christmastime also. And to think she was a very young girl also, probably no more than fourteen. She must have been very strong. Well, I guess that is why God choose her!

Jane

Scrappy quilter said...

Beautiful post. Hugs

Lisa in Texas = ) said...

What an awesome post! A blesing to read this morning! Have a great day!
Lisa :o)

Musical Maggie said...

Good thoughts to ponder on.

Fixing My Thoughts said...

Life must have seemed surreal for Mary much of the time. Wonderful post and full of the insight God has blessed you with. Bess

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post. Thank you.

Susan (DE)

Connie said...

Thank you for your post. So true..

becka said...

This passage was our Sunday School lesson this morning. Aren't you glad Mary was obedient and trusted God?

Vee said...

Amazing post...

My mother and I talked about this at length today so I will have her read this. She asked, "Is it right that we have to talk ourselves into our faith so often?" Somehow that question led to the verse you shared and many others about comforting one another with the stories of faith and experience. We had a good discussion and this post is going to lead to more. Thank you.

Debra said...

Hi Brenda.... I just wanted to drop by here today and thank you for your comment at my post about the X-Files. :) It's weird, but right after I wrote it I had a feeling you would say you'd been a fan of the show, too! So thanks for letting me know. And I think we saw the Bad Blood episode, but I can't recall offhand which one it was. I'll look it up again, though. You have me curious. :) Blessings, Debra

Sally Clarkson said...

I love how you ponder. Can't wait to make your soup. Your blog is looking so beautiful. A feast for my soul, sweet Brenda.

Anita said...

I say "Yes" because it's after the fact. Would I have said yes, if I were Mary? I don't know...I like to think I would have said yes. How thankful I am that Mary did say yes! I'm so glad God knew who He could trust to bear His Son. I'm so glad He gives us second chances...
Thanks for sharing these thoughts with me. It has left me pondering...

Unknown said...

What a blessing this post is! I love it! I am not so sure I would have (or could have) said yes. I would like to think so, but....something to ponder...