Memories Frozen in Time

In the book of Luke, Chapter 2 starts out with the birth of Jesus. Luke is not the only one in the Bible to tell this miraculous story, but there is a verse in Luke that really stood out to me this time. It is verse 19 that says: Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. She knew this was significant, this was precious and miraculous, she knew that this was a moment to remember for all time.

What do you think it means to treasure and ponder certain moments in your heart? There have been certain times in my life that I recognized at the time were highly significant moments. The kind of moment/s I didn't ever want to lose or fade. That is when the time is right to treasure and to ponder. For me, it is almost like shutting out the whole world except for that moment and mentally soaking in it and absorbing it in my heart to keep forever. For me I have to be intentional with those kinds of moments otherwise they fade, their meaning loses its potency. That's why I make a concerted effort to memorize the moment, treasure it and ponder it; the sounds, the smells, the voices, the feelings, the colors, all of it. Like Mary did. I have only a handful of moments like that, but they are as clear to me now as they were when they happened. There are some moments that I didn't do this and I wish I had, because time is a thief, it will rob you of the impact of certain moments if you aren't careful to treasure and ponder them in your heart and then lock them there.

I had a moment like that this weekend. I knew what its significance would be for me in the years to come and I refused to handle it lightly. So I treasured it, pondered it in my heart, and memorized every detail of it that I possibly could because I knew that exact moment and those exact circumstances would never again come my way and I knew it was to be treasured. And no matter what may occur, I will always have that beautiful time in my life to recall and cherish any time I choose, because I locked it in my mind and my heart.

Life is very short. It isn't always kind. However, there are beautiful moments that come along from time to time with the people we love and cherish the most. I believe we should see those moments for the significant blessings that they are and truly cherish them. Treasure them and ponder them in our hearts. We should follow Mary's example. Recognize significant moments and people in your life and lock them into your heart. You never know when a moment or a person will be gone... Cherish those once-in-a-lifetime moments on purpose. As you recall them later, even years down the road in crystal clarity, you will be so glad that you did. I am. I truly am.