Ponder These Treasures

Boxing Day fell on a Sunday this year, but our vicar had not wanted to have a service on Boxing Day so he let others in the church organise a service if they wanted one.

The Nativty we have by the tree

I went along and there were not many there. But I was struck by the fact that the vicar had boxed up all the things of Christmas from inside the church and so you would never have known it had been Christmas the day before.
Not a trace of candles, tinsel or a manger scene.


I was struck with a feeling of loss.
Christmas this year hadn’t been quite the same with the death of Moeder and I had had a bit of surgery under general anesthetic straight after, so the excitement of the Birth of Jesus Christ was not quite in our home.

One of my Nativity scenes from Avon

As I sat in church looking around and listening to the sharing, I felt grieved by the passing of Christmas and picked up my Bible.
I read from Luke 2 the best description of the first Christmas story, the birth of Christ. Although you can also read it in Matthew chapters 1 and 2 the passages from Luke is the one read at Nativity plays.

In chapter 2 of Luke there is the account of the Shepherds in the field watching over their sheep.

Another from Avon

Now I have always been under the impression (my thoughts only) that the shepherds visited Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, after his birth, (Christmas Day) so that when they had visited the baby in the stable and then went out rejoicing, it was the new day – Boxing Day as we know it - and so Christmas is still with us. I mean shepherds were pretty lowly people in those days and wouldn't have been listened to by others, so it would have taken awhile for the message to 'get through'.

I then found comfort (as God usually does for me from His Word) in verse 19 of Luke.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart

And then I realised the truth for me of Christmas, Boxing Day and for ever after;

‘pondering these treasures in my heart.’

Mary had discovered something more of what her baby was to be and I  too continually learn new things of God and His love for me.

So Christmas and the joy of it will be forever in me. I do know the true meaning of Christmas and the sacrifice of why Jesus came to earth, but for this moment I gained a further insight into the wonder of God.

Both these decorations are on our tree

This decoration was given to me by Theresa a couple of years ago.

All scripture is from the New International Version