Time for Pondering

When those shepherds finally left the manger that night, the silence must have once again settled in like deep snow.  Surely, those men who were accustomed to talking out in the field created quite a stir when they arrived at the place to which the angel directed them.  Imagine for a moment the excitement which must have filled the place when they stood there looking at the child Jesus.  The nativity scenes always depict three shepherds, but who knows for sure how many might have come and crowded into that place filled with the holy.  Excited as they likely were, it is also likely that they all were trying to talk at once.  What a noisy fuss they must have caused!

 

When they left it must have seemed that all the air had been sucked out of the room.  Mary's response to all those men from the field brought with them is set forth in a few words in Luke's telling of the story.  "But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart."  (Luke 2:19)  Treasuring words is something we all have done.  Young lovers do it when separated from the one who is loved and old lovers do it as they remember the days which have gone by.  Words do and can become great treasures. 

 

But, that word "ponder" is not quite as easy to put in a box.  When was the last time we thought of ourselves as pondering something someone said?  And if we did ponder something, would we know we were pondering it?  Of course, it is possible to dig up a commentary which might bring us to a degree of enlightenment, but maybe the shortcut would shortcut our ability to ponder.  Surely, the experience of pondering something means carrying it with us and living with it for awhile.  People who ponder what they have heard or read do not  walk away from those things quickly.  Lest we miss out on something important God is trying to say to us, maybe we should pray asking the Spirit to help us ponder what we have been hearing from Him in our hearts.