A little over 60 years ago, my brother and I were playing in thick woods near our residence in Selma, Alabama, when we came upon an old black man shouting to the sky. It was an eerie scene with tall oak trees all around and gray stringy moss hanging from them.
Jim and I, somewhat petrified with fear, watched and listened to the guy for several minutes ramble on and on about meaningless things—at least to us they were—before we ran home and told Mom. Her response caught us both off guard,
“The fellow was probably talking to his maker!”
As a youngster, I never thought I’d emulate this older person’s actions in a million years. Now, as a senior citizen, I’ve done so, although in a different manner.
On hikes alone into the desert, generally, to do a little treasure hunting with my metal detector, I find myself talking to God out loud. Although I never shout, it’s my way of communicating with Him other than through prayer. I know He listens.
Just recently, I’ve been dissecting Bible verse, Luke 2:19, word by word in my own non-theologian way. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
“Treasured up” and “pondered in her heart” have significant meaning. They talk about Mary thinking back to the events leading up to her son, Jesus’s birth. I believe all mothers do this, especially after their kids have grown and left the nest.
On my desert forays, I too ponder events leading up to my children’s birth, as well as significant events after they came into this world. Not only do I do this with Gunnar and Miranda, but I have ample time to think about my family—especially grandchildren these days—and my friends.
Whether I like it or not, this coming April I turn 70. The celebration-worthy birthday is called “platinum jubilee” for good reason, and I even wrote a short story and crazy poem by the same name. I’m not sure I’ll be celebrating other than having a slice of Safeway chocolate cake with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, but I will be doing my share of pondering afterwards.
Within the past six months, sadly, I lost three good friends. I suppose having loved ones die before my departure goes with the turf. Memories of them, treasured up and pondered in my heart, help immensely with this grief.
In the movie, “Green Mile” starring Tom Hanks, one of the characters, Paul Edgecomb, 108 years old, sadly reflects back on how many people he’d lost. I’d like to think that the good recollections he has of these deceased individuals eventually overcame his grief. I hope it does the same with me regarding, Rod Sanborn, William Lowe, and Michael Lowe.
After Jesus was crucified, undoubtedly, Mary was filled with immense sorrow. Three days later, finding that he was victorious in leaving his tomb, that pain turned to joy. Through her son’s memory, treasured up and pondered in her heart, she was most likely able to move forward once again.
I believe that pondering, or thinking back to all of the life experiences experienced by my family and friends over the past 69 years, helps fuel the fire for me to continue on. Hopefully, there are still more memories to be made.
The Bible mentions in Psalms 111:2, one very important thing about pondering, and it relates strictly to Jesus Christ.
The LORD’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them.
There’s one thing that I still wonder after writing this piece. The Bible tells us that Jesus lived a perfect life without sin which includes his childhood. My question revolves around a common thought that most all responsible parents have in later years regarding their offspring.
Did Mary, like us, ever ask herself,
“What could I have done differently in raising my child?”
That leaves me, like you, with something else to ponder!
I like to write junk... 