My grandson had his Christmas program for preschool last night. He practiced his songs and danced around the living room for days, flailing his arms as he whirled hither and yon. It took four adults to keep an eye on this ball of energy. After the program, he came home and collapsed in bed exhausted. We adults were able to sit back and relax.
As Mary entered the fifth month of her personal Advent, her womb began to swell. Gone was the excessive yearning for sleep that accompanies the first trimester of a pregnancy.
With this being her first pregnancy, she had fewer responsibilities in the home. There were no other children to care for. She had time to ponder. After all the emotional energy poured into telling her parents and Joseph, after the physical strain of traveling to and from Judea to help Elizabeth, and after the mental exercise of studying prophecies of the Messiah with Zechariah, Mary was at last able to pause, sit down, and think about her son.
As she pondered, Mary was able to experience…peace.
Christmas is a busy season for all of us, but today consider taking time off from all your activities and remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Ponder anew all the blessings God has poured down on your life in the past year.
