Luke 2:19-20

Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them. 

Mary thought about all the things that had transpired since she was told that she was to give birth to Jesus. These things were so memorable that she wanted to tuck them away in her heart. How wonderful all these things were! But Mary wasn't the type who would go around telling people she was this grand, chosen person. She knew how faith worked.

Matthew 6:6 tells us "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Do you know how long it took me to understand that passage? To me, it seemed like I didn't want people knowing that I pray to God. Like it was something I should be ashamed of what I was doing. But then I realized what that was all about. God doesn't want us to be boastful about what we do. God knows all that we do.

I found this really good explanation of this lesson on a website called "tillhecomes.org". "All of us need to learn from Mary and Joseph that our suffereings, and our troubles and our trials in life are tools in the hand of God to mold us and shape us and make us into something beyond our imagination. When trials and troubles come into your life, you may feel like you are getting beaten with rods and ground into powder-remember the grain in Isaiah 28- but remember, grain must be ground to make bread. God is making you into something great. In whatever trials you are facing, ask God these kinds of questions: Say "Father, what are you trying to teach me in this situation? How can this trial make me more like Jesus Christ? What chaff in my life are you trying to grind out of me? How can this troubling time make me better instead of bitter?"

These are questions I should be asking of God myself. I am going through many trials and tribulations. Some days it feels like things will never get better. I've found myself wondering why this is happening to me. I feel like God isn't listening. But He is. It's just that He hasn't told me His plan. I have to be patient. There is a reason for all things that happen to us. Instead of complaining and whining about it all, I should be asking God what can I learn from this? Is it so I grow closer to Him? Is it because He knows I am strong and I can get through this as long as I keep God's love in my heart. There are so many questions I could be asking. But, I think for the moment, I will be still. I will be quiet. I will wait until God shows me the way I need to go.