Well here is our Christmas story part 2 - the shepherds story. Get ready with an instrument, a tea towel and string and your tinsel from last week - prepare to enter the story. This is our last video of 2020! See the last Thankful Thought of the year below the video. Thankful Thursday will be back on Thursday 7th January - sadly still on video only. Wishing you all peace, comfort and joy this Christmas. Love Claire xx
Thankful Thought Thursday 17th Dec : Jesus is born Luke 2.
Well, here we are – Christmas 2020. It has been rather different. After the initial waves of disappointment at all that could not happen this year to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, I am now beginning to see the beauty of a pared back celebration – one of the joys of which is more time to think and ponder.
In reading Luke chapter 2 to prepare for telling the story to the children I was struck by the character of Mary and all that she witnessed. After the birth of Jesus, the first visitors are the shepherds who come with their tales of Angel encounters – something Mary was getting all too used to! In verse 19 we read “Mary pondered all these things in her heart”.
Then we read on to the story of presenting Jesus at the temple and Simeon’s words to Mary on verse 35: “Things will happen that will make your heart sad”. Finally, after losing Jesus as a boy on the trip to the temple for Passover and hearing his words that “You should have known I would be in my Father’s house” v 49. We read in verse 51, “Mary was still thinking about all that had happened”
From these quotes I sense that Mary was a thoughtful soul, who processed all that was happening to her storing things in her heart to help make sense of it all.
We have had rather a lot to process this year! What have you stored in your heart to ponder? What has happened that has made your heart sad? How are you thinking through and processing everything?
I have been accused in the past of being an over thinker – analysing things too deeply and sometimes getting rather down in the process. I am better when I am thinking and doing and even better when I invite God to guide my thoughts through prayer. I take time to think, pray and process while doing the more mundane tasks such as washing up, laundry, taking exercise or recently wrapping gifts.
I am sure Mary also had time to think during the more mundane moments of life. Mary was pondering her part in God’s rescue plan for the world. I would strongly recommend we all ponder that this Christmas time. Mary’s world was in a mess, she was living in an occupied land, not able to live as freely as she would have liked but she had a part to play in changing that world and bringing news of freedom for all. Her son’s life, death and resurrection gave us all a role to play in bringing freedom for all through the knowledge of God’s love. Ponder all these things. God’s rescue plan has stood the test of time and is eternal in the freedom it brings. Ask God to help you store a fresh supply of his love in your heart and a new understanding of your part in His rescue plan for 2021.
Love & Prayers Claire xx