Treasured Musings

This is a blog written by our youngest daughter, Missy.

I love Christmas. I always have. That’s why I decorate on November 1st every year, and the Carpenters’ Christmas Pandora station is played in our house a full 1/6 of the year. My parents instilled in me a love for Christmas. Mom always had special candy cane ornament crafts, chocolates in the advent calendar, and lots of sweet smelling candles all over the house during the holidays. Every year, my dad would lift one of us girls up to hang a little Christmas mouse ornament, and he would laugh uproariously as we all quoted lines from A Christmas Story or The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Some of my favorite memories during my years in Illinois were of us all singing and playing Christmas songs together. I would take the left hand of the piano, and one of my sisters would take the right hand, and then dad would jump in on the guitar.

A few years ago, when I was pregnant with Dylan, I got all sorts of hormone emotional listening to the song Breath of Heaven. I had always thought that song was cheesy before, but the words hit me hard that year.

Do you wonder as you watch my face

If a wiser one should have had my place

But I offer all I am

For the mercy of your plan

Help me be strong

Help me be

Help me

I can’t imagine what it must’ve felt like being told you were pregnant, but still so young and naïve. There were no ultrasounds, doctor appointments, or What to Expect While You’re Expecting books. It was just a very young girl and her fiancé leaning on God under a tyrannical ruler, obeying an intimidating and mysterious call, and embarking on a daunting pilgrimage to Bethlehem. The Bible glosses over the story, and we don’t focus on the scandal that this pregnancy must’ve caused. Then, there was the hardship of traveling on a bumpy donkey ride right as your body is about to go into labor. I know I probably would’ve fussed out all of the innkeepers who didn’t have room for my nine month pregnant self. But with all the scandal, uncertainty, and circumstances working against them, the Bible talks about Mary treasuring these things in her heart.

Luke 2:19

…but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

 I love how the Bible describes Mary treasuring these things up in her heart. I try to remind myself every day to treasure my little ones and my husband. I try to take mental pictures of Dylan stomping around acting like a t Rex, or of Josie‘s sweet smile, or of watching Jeremy grow in his role as “Daddy”.

But even more importantly, I’m trying to treasure the things of God in my heart even more. I think back on the hard times where the darkness of hurt and disappointment threatened to knock me off the path that God had for me. But He proved Himself faithful after a hard divorce. He proved Himself faithful to provide the right doctor in my infertility. He proved Himself faithful throughout my postpartum health struggles this past year. He proves Himself faithful every day … In the little and the big.  When I’m tempted to complain about some small thing, I remind myself to focus on all of God’s love and faithfulness and treasure it up in my heart. May we all remember God’s greatest gift and treasure Him this holiday season and every day. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

Breath of Heaven  by Amy Grant and Chris Eaton