Do Not Open, yet......

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 
Matthew 6:21


There's an envelope in my bedroom. It's tucked away in a safe place.

I haven't shown it to anyone except my son.

The envelope is filled with his senior picture proofs.

Normally, I would show them to all the world, smiling from ear to proud-momma ear.

This time is different.

I am not ready to show them to anyone yet. I am still treasuring them in my momma heart.

Eventually, I will show them to people. In my time.

I remember a scripture in the bible about Mary, the mother of Jesus. I think of it so often.

It reads: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Jesus had just been born. The Shepherds had come to visit. They were worshiping and praising the baby King Jesus. Mary looked around and must have felt the most overwhelming love swell in her heart. 

A love that escapes words. 

A love that can only be understood in the deepest depth of your soul. 

A love that only God Himself can understand. 

Mary treasured and Mary pondered. 

With the world of social media, treasuring and pondering is a rare commodity. 

We don't have time to do either. We instantly express whatever emotion we feel at the moment and blast it out for all the world to see. 

But, there is something precious about treasuring and pondering.

There is something holy about a love so deep and a feeling so strong that we have no desire to share it yet with the world. 

A sacred love. 

Mary surely felt this. She alone was the mother of this baby King. She alone was the woman that would get to raise this child and watch him grow into an adult. 

Sometimes, words are not meant to be spoken. 

Sometimes, words are meant to be treasured and pondered. 

Between God and between us. 

Just the two of us. 

There are moments in my marriage that I feel this sacred love. Moments that I bury deep into my heart to store. Hidden treasure. 

There are moments with my children that I feel this sacred love. When I don't log on to instagram to document it. When I just sit and treasure up the moment. Hoping that for one second the world will stand still, and this memory will stay buried in the treasure chest of my heart. 

There are other times. 

Like, when we do something that no one else sees. Serving someone that cannot return the service. Helping someone that will never give us the credit for the sacrifice. 

These times are sacred and holy. 

These stories are often just to be known between us and God. 

Sometimes we can even treasure grief. 

We can feel so much pain over the loss of someone or something that the pain can only be understood by God. Our words fail us. But God sees. He hears when nothing is spoken. 

We treasure not the grief, but the memories. We remember. We ponder. We bury more treasure into our heart chest. 

So, I will keep those senior proofs in that envelope for a little while longer. 

I want to continue to treasure and ponder.

Until the time is right.

holding those pictures close for now, 

jill