When someone mentions treasure our thoughts most often turn to financial things.
But there is another kind of treasure…one (sadly) I’m not very good at most times. The reference is found in Luke 2:19 where it says that after the shepherds visited the baby and then left, Mary pondered or treasured these things you her heart. That word has always intrigued me.
As I probed what it meant to “treasure” something in your heart, I knew exactly why I was so bad at it! 🙂
The expression “treasured these things in her heart” has more to do with the emotions and the heart, than the physical organ beating in our chest. It literally means to keep something alive or to savor.
I think we all tend to do that. It is called memories. I have them. You have them. Good and bad. I have memories of Christmases in the past which were good. Waking up on Christmas morning to find a tree, a running train, and more than I ever dreamed of under the tree. I can also remember the Christmas my dad was about to walk out of the house.
These days I treasure my Christmases. As we get older, the awareness becomes more apparent that Christmas memories are to be treasured. I like what Tim Keller says, “The treasuring is not so much a technique as an attitude.” The sad part (and am I alone in this?) is that treasuring is getting harder to do. I’m really having some difficulty focusing this Christmas. Maybe it is the accident. Maybe it’s the volume of work. Maybe it is preoccupation with things to do. But I do need to slow down and treasure my memories.
How about you?
Some have asked for an update on my accident. I continue mending. I am totally grateful to God for His healing. I found out the good news that my auto insurance is going to cover the medical bills. That is a huge relief. I go to the general surgeon this coming Monday for a follow up on the hematoma and whether she will remove it or continue hoping my body will absorb it. Continued prayer would be appreciated. And thanks.
Oh Bill this post was timely for me. I love the part about “treasuring literally means to keep something alive or to savor”. That savor is what gives us abundant life when He is the one we treasure. I want my faith to so live that anyone lost or saved will somehow have to speak the name of Jesus in reference to me. It could be a person calling me a Jesus freak or another calling me a Jesus lover…as long as it’s His name they go away with. Glad you are doing better. I have not been the same since my mother died. I had hit a wall actually in March due to stress and then her dying just did me in. At the time I did not realized how much of an affect it would have in later months…but the grief is here and the stress is still here…I know I will get through and come out with more wisdom and discernment and all the other good things I have ask Him do give me. I know He will not waste the stress or the grief. Praying for you brother…
I’ve always liked that verbiage in the Word too.
With each Christmas I seem to cherish them a little bit more. I realize how fast they come and that each one is a gift. None of us know when our last one is to share with family and acknowledge our Savior’s birth.
Praying for you and a quick and complete healing.
Hi Bill! Believe me, I get it. Circumstances in this time before Christmas have been so different and stressful for me, as you know. Your comment to me was such a good one, and so I’ll remind you of it: Your body will mend, your work will get done. Christmas will come.
We have faith for a reason, and it’s good to engage it always, even in the hardest of times. Well, mostly in the hardest of times. Of course, I will pray for you and your healing. I hope the doctor will think that your body will heal itself. And remember, you most certainly are not alone. There are many this year who find it difficult to ‘treasure’ their circumstances.
But God uses everything, and he will use this time to instruct and love you even deeper. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to be present to it for it to happen. We just have to say ‘yes’.
Keeping you in prayer,
Ceil
Definitely will keep you in prayer for full recovery, Bill – and that’s great news about the medical bills!
Yes, Christmas is the season of memories treasured in our hearts; hopefully the good ones far outweigh the not-so-good. May we all take the time to ponder the wondrous coming of our Savior.
Blessings!
Yay for auto insurance!
Definitely our memories of the good things of the past are treasures. Each of us have so many treasures, and while Christmas is always a treasure in more than one way, we often find treasures the other 364 days of the year.
One of my favorite treasures is always seeing and catching up with old friends I haven’t seen in a while.
As Betty said, savoring is what reveals our abundant life! Great post, Bill–very timely.
Praying for a complete recovery for you!
I haven’t been able to blog much so I wasn’t aware of your accident, I’ll be praying.
I’m glad you posted about Mary. I’ve been pondering that passage and wondering what her thoughts were regarding Jesus.
I tend to be so busy I don’t take time to capture the moments but I’m trying to be more intentional about this…treasuring the moments and storing them in my heart.
So sorry about your accident. Glad you’re on the mend.