Of course the Christmas story has been being told over and over for the last few weeks, and it has been awesome! I noticed something new this year, that Mary "pondered these things in her heart."
What that must have been like, to give birth to a King! Shows me a little about Mary, her humility, probably some of which was forced on her after being shunned by many, but that instead of gloating and pride, she kept these things in her heart.
I have been doing some pondering, thinking, of my own the last few days.
My thinking has been about something different, someone different, but someone who God loves, another child of God, our baby Matthew.
I don't update on Matthew much. Because he is not living in our home sometimes it is easy to forget that he even has a problem, after all, he has a mom and dad who love him dearly, but Matthew does have problems, major ones.
A few days ago we were invited to a church Christmas party, same party we were invited to last year and who God used in a mighty way to reach Christians here with the responsibility to care for orphans.
Attending the party was also Matthew and his family. After we were done sharing we asked them to come up and share about what God has done and is doing, we thanked them, and Bill asked the elders to come pray for Matthew.
I have been so desiring that the elders of the local churches pray for Matthew, and I know many have been praying, but this was just the situation I have been praying for. But what happened I'm still working out.
In Luke 9 37-43 there is a story about a boy who's father asked Jesus to heal him. That scripture eluded me until Matthews father pointed it out to me.
As the elders were praying, Matthew started seizing and crying. The seizure lasted longer than I could have imagined, he was still seizing after they finished praying. As I held him in my arms, crying, I have to say, I don't understand.
Matthews father thinks God is using Matthew to teach many people, I agree, but the lesson is difficult, especially for those of us who know him and love him and desire to see healing.
So, I'm asking you to pray. Pray for healing for little Matthew, pray that he would be a mighty testimony to the love of God. Share with your churches and home-groups, friends and prayer warriors to pray for Matthew, pray for the church here, that they would catch a glimpse of what God is doing and that they would grow.
These things are still in my heart, constantly, and there are a lot more questions than there are answers right now. Though my heart is that the church would see, they would learn, at what cost I'm not sure I'm prepared for right now.
