In a few weeks, the world will be filled with her story.
We will see her in every nativity scene. We will see her draped in blue. We will see her serene and silent.
Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is the quiet face of Christmas.
The Intimidation of Perfection
If we are honest. She seems so perfect. She seems so calm. She seems so ready.
We look at our own hearts it seems so anxious all over the place.
We feel like a failure in comparison.
we need to look beyond these nativity scenes
I want to invite you to look behind the stained-glass window.
Let’s sit with the real Mary.
She was a young, poor, unknown girl. She lived in a small, dusty town. She was I’m sure terrified. Her entire life was turned sideways in a single moment.
When we look at her, we need to see her humanity her courage. We don’t see perfection, we can see someone who is just like us, sometimes uncertain not sure what to do.
In this, we find a powerful guide for our own faith.
Her Quiet Strength (Luke 1:38)
We often think Mary’s strength was her “perfection.” But her true, radical strength was her active surrender.
When the angel appeared, her life was planned. She was engaged. She had a reputation.
God’s plan interrupted her own. It invited scandal. It invited confusion. It invited fear.
And what was her response? Not “I’m not ready.” Not “I’m not good enough.”
Her response was a “mustard seed” of faith.
“I am the Lord’s servant… May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)
This is not a passive “yes.” This is an active “yes.”
It’s a “yes” in the middle of fear. It’s a “yes” to a plan she cannot see.
Her Pondering Heart (Luke 2:19)
And then, her second strength. She was a “ponderer.”
When the shepherds came. When the angels sang. When the world was loud with this miracle.
Mary didn’t shout.
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
(Luke 2:19)
She held the moments. She reflected quietly.
For an introvert like us, this is our permission slip.
Your quiet, internal “pondering” is just as holy. It is perhaps even more holy than a loud proclamation.
Her Human Heart (Luke 2:50)
We must remember. She was not a doll. She was human.
- She was afraid. The first thing the angel said was, “Do not be afraid.” She was not fearless; she was brave.
- She was confused. She didn’t have the whole map. When she found 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, the Bible tells us: “They did not understand what he was saying to them.” (Luke 2:50).
This is a breath of fresh air. Mary, the mother of God, did not always understand.
She was living “The Lamp, Not the Map.” She had to walk by faith. Step by step. Just like us.
Prompts from a “Pondering” Heart
Let’s sit with Mary’s story.
- The “Humble” Heart: “Mary was a ‘humble’ vessel. Where do I feel ‘not enough’ right now? How can I reframe this? How is this an open space for God’s grace?”
- The “Fearful Yes”: “God’s plan interrupted Mary’s. Where is my life feeling ‘interrupted’? What would a small, ‘mustard-seed’ yes look like in this uncertainty?”
- The “Pondering”: “What is one ‘holy moment’ from my life right now? What is one ‘hard question’? I need to stop ‘spinning’ on it. I need to just… ponder it.”
- The “Confusion”: “Like Mary, I ‘do not understand’ (Name the confusion). But I will ‘treasure’ it in my heart. I will trust You with the answer.”
Your Action Point: The “Pondering Pause”
Practice the your pause.
- Notice. Sometime this week, when you feel the “spin” of the holiday rush, take 5 minutes.
- Go. Go to your “quiet corner.”
- Open. Open your journal.
- Hold. Your action is not to find an answer. Your action is to “ponder.”
- Write. Write about one thing from your day. A “messy” feeling. A “manna” moment.
Just hold it. Ask questions. Don’t demand answers.
You are practicing the quiet, holy, “pondering” heart of Mary.
With grace, Debbera
