24 December 2014
Girls in Their Jammies
Luke 2:19
...But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
A lot is going on in Mary’s life. Shepherds are talking excitedly, people are astonished by their testimony, animals are sharing their space, and a newborn needs tending. But everything is happening just like Gabriel had told her God said these things would happen. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end (Luke 1:32-33). Mary is watching all that beginning to unfold right in front of her one night in her jammies.
Or, since Luke wrote of this decades after it happened, is he noting that for all her life Mary harkens back to these early days and mulls over the amazing miracle of Jesus’ birth so closely and personally touching her life? Either way, Mary had good things about Jesus stored up, and she got them out of her heart often to think and reflect on all of it.
I have Good News about Jesus stored up in my heart. He has personally done amazing things in my life and in the lives of people I love. He has taken my burdens and changed my position about so many things like no book, educator, experience, movie, public figure, medicine, friend, or loved one ever could. He has given me so much grace and forgiveness, love and comfort; it’s overwhelming. So much so that I can also offer these same things to others regardless of their standing (that’s not normal). I do save up all that He has done in my heart and think about it often.
I am so thankful for my husband. Big, strong, handsome, and so loving. Exactly what little girl Janys pictured in her mind when I would play house and dollies. I am so thankful for my kids. I wanted a lot of kids just like my mom’s friend, Sandy. When I look at my husband, I get those memories out of my heart and think about how God remembered everything that is important to me and gave it to me.
Then, 6 years into our marriage my doctor told me I wouldn’t get pregnant without medical assistance. I thought after we successfully had two babies we’d be satisfied with that. But God remembered I wanted way more than two, and we got TWO more with no medicine at all. I unpack this treasure in my heart all the time. I marvel at God being so kind to me to give us four beautiful, healthy, wonderful children.
I have a house, my parents live close by, there’s books and music in our home and a little garden outside. God has miraculously blessed and sustained us in times of need and also miraculously allowed us to bless others in their time of need. God made it possible for us to live on one income so that I can be home with our kids 14 years ago with gameshow prize money of all things. God miraculously intervened and healed my husband 2 years ago of deadly bacterial meningitis and restored his health after his recovery too which is unheard of for survivors. I think of these things often and get filled with joy and appreciation for just how amazing God is.
And, my parents love to recount this treasured memory, God taught their daughters to trust in him always by making it snow on Christmas 1975 in Boston because their two little girls went to bed praying for snow on a night with absolutely no snow in the forecast. Of course it snowed because God hears the prayers of little girls in their jammies. And we guard these memories like treasure in our hearts and live filled with JOY because of it!
Dear God,
Thank you for giving me things to think about all the time simply by what you’ve done in my life. I love the weight you’ve taken off my shoulders, I love your grace, I love my family, I love your provision, and I love your fine attention to detail in my life. Thank you so much that reflection on you yields joy. So much joy! You never ever neglect to prove that you hear my prayers from the time I was a little girl. Thank you for being so real and so present and so wonderful in my life. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Girls in Their Jammies
Luke 2:19
...But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
A lot is going on in Mary’s life. Shepherds are talking excitedly, people are astonished by their testimony, animals are sharing their space, and a newborn needs tending. But everything is happening just like Gabriel had told her God said these things would happen. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end (Luke 1:32-33). Mary is watching all that beginning to unfold right in front of her one night in her jammies.
Or, since Luke wrote of this decades after it happened, is he noting that for all her life Mary harkens back to these early days and mulls over the amazing miracle of Jesus’ birth so closely and personally touching her life? Either way, Mary had good things about Jesus stored up, and she got them out of her heart often to think and reflect on all of it.
I have Good News about Jesus stored up in my heart. He has personally done amazing things in my life and in the lives of people I love. He has taken my burdens and changed my position about so many things like no book, educator, experience, movie, public figure, medicine, friend, or loved one ever could. He has given me so much grace and forgiveness, love and comfort; it’s overwhelming. So much so that I can also offer these same things to others regardless of their standing (that’s not normal). I do save up all that He has done in my heart and think about it often.
I am so thankful for my husband. Big, strong, handsome, and so loving. Exactly what little girl Janys pictured in her mind when I would play house and dollies. I am so thankful for my kids. I wanted a lot of kids just like my mom’s friend, Sandy. When I look at my husband, I get those memories out of my heart and think about how God remembered everything that is important to me and gave it to me.
Then, 6 years into our marriage my doctor told me I wouldn’t get pregnant without medical assistance. I thought after we successfully had two babies we’d be satisfied with that. But God remembered I wanted way more than two, and we got TWO more with no medicine at all. I unpack this treasure in my heart all the time. I marvel at God being so kind to me to give us four beautiful, healthy, wonderful children.
I have a house, my parents live close by, there’s books and music in our home and a little garden outside. God has miraculously blessed and sustained us in times of need and also miraculously allowed us to bless others in their time of need. God made it possible for us to live on one income so that I can be home with our kids 14 years ago with gameshow prize money of all things. God miraculously intervened and healed my husband 2 years ago of deadly bacterial meningitis and restored his health after his recovery too which is unheard of for survivors. I think of these things often and get filled with joy and appreciation for just how amazing God is.
And, my parents love to recount this treasured memory, God taught their daughters to trust in him always by making it snow on Christmas 1975 in Boston because their two little girls went to bed praying for snow on a night with absolutely no snow in the forecast. Of course it snowed because God hears the prayers of little girls in their jammies. And we guard these memories like treasure in our hearts and live filled with JOY because of it!
Dear God,
Thank you for giving me things to think about all the time simply by what you’ve done in my life. I love the weight you’ve taken off my shoulders, I love your grace, I love my family, I love your provision, and I love your fine attention to detail in my life. Thank you so much that reflection on you yields joy. So much joy! You never ever neglect to prove that you hear my prayers from the time I was a little girl. Thank you for being so real and so present and so wonderful in my life. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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