Evening Prayer

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

What a heart Mary must have had, to be able to keep all these things, to cherish and to see God’s presence in everything.

I’m not there yet. I don’t know yet how to hold all these things as gifts from God. Not always sure how to see God's presence in everyone -- like that person who stands on the left side of the escalator during rush hour (seriously, if you're in DC, the rule is walk left and stand right, people). 

Still, my heart took in three things earlier this week as I walked home from the metro.

The first: every day I walk past a parking lot where a driving school has their driving lessons. I walked past a teenager talking on the phone with her mom, asking her to pick her up. The joy in her voice was contagious as she said, “And I drove on the Beltway today, Mom! It was great! I’m so excited!”

Then I walked past this little toddler outside with her father, who was doing yard work. She was busy doing yard work, too, attempting to “rake” the yard, likely causing more work for him, but he told her that she was doing a good job.

And just before I reached my house, I noticed this little patch of wildflowers near a construction fence.

And so my prayer tonight is a prayer of gratitude for these little moments of joy – moments that prove to me over and over again that life isn’t about wealth or status, but about being more like Mary -- small enough to let our hearts ponder this great love that surrounds us daily.