It is a week after Christmas, and the New Year is here. For most of us, the presents have been opened, the pumpkin pie has been devoured and the majority of your guests have gone home. Or maybe not!
Sometimes, after a holiday or other big event, there is a bit of a letdown. Some folks call it post-partum blues. You have delivered on the food and the fun and the long-awaited event has come and gone. Instead of finding yourself with a baby, however, you may find yourself with an avalanche of dirty laundry, a load of credit card charges and a pile of stuff you have to make room for in your closet. The last thing you need are lingering guests.
The Bible tells us that a group of shepherds showed up soon after Jesus was born, after hearing the good news from an angel that “a Savior has been born to you.” (Luke 2:11) I’m wondering how Mary felt about having these guests so soon after delivery. I hope she was gracious and hospitable as she changed diapers and tried to discretely nurse her newborn child.
We are told that the shepherds left, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen…” Meanwhile, Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19-20) I love that insight into Mary’s spiritual state so soon after giving birth to Jesus. She took a moment to hold the event in her heart. She reflected on what his birth meant for her and for all humanity. Even with the responsibilities of navigating motherhood far away from anything familiar to her, she paused to let the reality of God seep into the present.
I hope you will take a moment today – maybe even right now – to treasure the reality of Christmas. In the midst of the busyness of the day, take a minute to ponder what God is teaching you. Sit alone with your thoughts long enough for God to enter into the present. The dishes and the laundry and the hungry guests can wait for a bit.
When your heart is full of God’s grace, you and your guests can join the shepherds in glorifying and praising God.
-Dr. Jim Baldwin
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