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Over the past 2+ years, you've heard me speak a lot about our relationship with God. Part of a relationship is knowing who the other person is, and the way we know is through learning through being together.
Those who have attended Christmas Day the past two years will also remember my bringing to your attention Mary's pondering.
In the beginning chapters of Luke, we hear of Mary pondering and treasuring things in her heart. The shepherds coming to give homage to Jesus is one of those moments.
Let's not forget that Mary is just a girl. Her life has been thrown out of balance. All of a sudden she has gone from the life of a poor girl from Nazareth to being at the heart and center of God's plan to redeem the human race.
And Mary dove head first into this life. Her only question is basically 'sorry, how did this happen in the first place?' The next thing she tells Gabriel is "let it be to me according to your word."
Mary is cultivating her relationship with God, so everything that happens to her, everything out of the ordinary, she locks away to ponder and treasure.
Mary is learning who God is from what God is doing.
I've asked you every year to stop and ponder too because we are called to be like Mary. We are called to follow her example and cultivate our relationship with God.
So ponder these things in your hearts. Whenever you feel God in your life, reflect on what exactly it is that God is doing. Just like Mary, you will find that you will get to know who the Lord is better, because the only way we can know anything about God is by being with God.