The book of Luke, chapter two, verse nineteen tells us the following: But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Mary did two things specifically in this verse that need to be noted. She kept. She pondered. Mary was engulfed in the moment. Having just received the account from the shepherds, she was absorbing it, preserving it.

Mary had kept all these things in her heart. The event described to her was going through the mental process of preservation. These thoughts were to never be lost or forgotten. Wonderful, sweet thoughts of her child, her Savior. Thoughts, that on the hardest of days, she could recall back into her mind. Thoughts that burst through as her Son was crucified. Like Mary, we have the ability to preserve our most precious thoughts. To keep them in our heart. On our lowest of days, we can remember a time when God’s saving grace brought us up from the pit. When He saved us through His shed blood. That same blood, that Mary witnessed flow down from a crown of thorns.

Ponder- To weigh in the mind. Mary pondered on these events in her heart. She was holding tight. Balancing what she had just experienced and the news she had just heard.

By God’s design, we are naturally driven by our emotions. But we have a choice. We can choose to ponder on the good things or we can choose to dwell on the bad things. At times we make the choice to focus on events that disable us and make us spiritually barren. We keep the hurt from a wayward child, hurt from unmet expectations, the hurt from our spouse or hurt from disappointment.

The choice is yours, and yours only. Do you keep and ponder the bad experiences? Or do you reach down deep and pluck the cluster of good fruit? The fruit of experiences that brought you joy, peace, and love. Choose Philippians 4:8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 © Kelly Comeaux, Chipped Vessel