And his mother kept all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51
Twice Luke says Mary “kept in her heart” the events surrounding Jesus birth and growth (2:19, 51), once with the “keeping” linked to “pondering.” These two responses might well be seen as ultimately the only way for us humans to approach family life and the life of faith. How often in family life and in the life of faith are we left in the end with little else except what we keep and ponder in our hearts? We keep and ponder because we do not understand all that happens in our families. We keep and ponder because we do not fully understand our spouses or our children—or even ourselves. Life is a mystery, and family life is an even more profound mystery! You do not ever solve—or resolve—the bittersweet realities of family life. You just “keep them in your heart” and rock them back and forth like you once tried to rock your babies to sleep. We keep and ponder in our spiritual lives, also, because with God, the Ultimate Mystery, nothing can ever be final, nothing can be resolved or concluded. Much as we might want only answers, in this life we must keep and ponder questions in our hearts.
From James E. Adams, editor from 1985–2008
Originally published December 30, 1994
