As you read this weeks article it is either the day before Christmas, the day of Christmas or the day after Christmas. I think for most Christmas has already past. The gifts have been opened and wrapping paper, bows, tape and boxes are strewn throughout the house. It probably looks like a bomb went off and you are now faced with cleaning up the aftermath.

The kitchen is also a disaster area. The snacks for Christmas Eve or the meal from Christmas Day have also left their mark. Glasses or plastic cups are sitting everywhere, most half full (or half empty) with soda coffee, tea or eggnog/ wassail. And, they are probably sitting somewhere without a coaster or napkin under it slowly eating away the finish on the coffee or end table. While just outside the house the Christmas decorations present another conundrum. Should I leave them on in the evening or just unplug them? If I leave them on in the evening, how long should I go before I stop… until the weekend after Christmas or maybe until New Years? Should I just break down and take them down and store them until next year?

But if you are like me you will get you a big cup of coffee (or tea), sit in the big recliner and just catch your breath. The past 2-4 weeks have been non-stop it seems. It is nice to just sit for a few minutes in the peace and solitude of the moment and reflect. Everyone is still asleep or just beginning to stir and this gives you a moment to look at the fallout of the Christmas gift opening.

You remember the look on someone’s face as they get that special gift. The squeal of the child that got that toy they have been wanting so badly. Or as you gaze at the plethora of dishes in the kitchen, you reminisce to the smell of the dinner cooking and the comments stating how delicious the meal was. The eggnog or wassail was definitely a big hit. So much so you had to make another batch!

Those decorations outside that seemed to be such a hassle to put up sure were pretty and even the neighbors commented on how nice they looked and made the neighborhood look. That nativity sure was a great reminder of the Christmas story and helped you keep Christmas in perspective.

As you sit and sip the coffee and ponder all these things around you, you decide Christmas is and was a lot of work. It was kind of expensive also. And it is not just the getting ready for that special day of Christ’s birth but the cleaning, straightening, organizing or reorganizing the day and days after Christmas. They can be exhausting.

But as you bag the trash, pick up the cups, wash the plate or scrub the pan, a memory comes up with each one. And that memory makes you smile, maybe even let out a small laugh or shed a tiny tear. The plate, cup or pan has some significance to it now. You can carry that memory with you until next year as you get ready to do all this again.

Twice we read about Mary doing something similar to this. Mary and Joseph made the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The trip was about 100 miles. They didn’t have a car or a cart to make the trip. They walked and rode a donkey. When they got to the destination, they found no empty rooms for them to stay in. To further complicate things, the baby, Jesus, was ready to make His entrance. The only place to stay was a stable.

The baby was born and shortly after a group of shepherds show up telling an unbelievable story of how they found out about the birth of the Christ Child from an angel and an angelic proclamation. Then it happened. Luke 2:19 says it, Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart!

It happened again after the birth of Christ (12 years actually). It was in Jerusalem, in the temple at the Passover. Mary and Joseph worshipped and left. They left together but without Jesus. After three days they returned and found Him teaching in the temple. Luke says after causing them (parents) distress, Jesus submitted to them and returned home. Then we see a second time Mary’s response… and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Mary took all of the events of the foretelling to her by an angel of Jesus’ birth, the extraordinary story of the shepherds and Jesus’ own response in the temple and remembered them, stored them, thought deeply upon them.

And for Mary, it was a lot of work. It took a lot of effort and planning. But Mary had all these things in her heart and it made it all worthwhile for her. It was a priceless treasure that no one would ever take from her.

Christmas 2025, what was or is it for you? As you look around at the destruction, the mess and ponder the amount of time and cleaning this is going to take… ponder for another moment and remember IT WAS WORTH IT!

Pondering The Christmas Blessing, Bro. Tim