Why Can’t Cancer Take a Break During the Holidays?: a Devotional

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

Christmas is a season of anticipation. It’s easy to look forward to fun gatherings, amazing food and joy filled gift giving.

Yet you know Christmas can be hard for cancer patients. Their gatherings bring attacks on their immune systems, their food is only good if it does not taste like metal, and shopping is only a joy if they have the finances and the energy to shop. The truth? Christmas is hard on cancer patients- emotionally and physically.  As a strong yet tender-hearted person, Christmas can be hard on you too.

Here’s the struggle: How can you live each day in joyful anticipation of the Christ Child’s birth when the burdens of your patients are too real?

For an answer, let’s look at Mary, mother of Jesus. That first Christmas day finds Mary, filled with the awe of every mother of their newborn child but Mary was also surrounded by wonder after wonder from God.

·         In a town with no vacancy signs everywhere, God provided a stable for the birth of her child.

·         The stable just happens to be lit by the brilliant star hanging out just above them.

·         The virgin birth of her son was, of course, miraculous.

·         A group of shepherds stop by and share a mind-bending story of the heavens filled with angels shouting praises to God for the arrival of her son.

Can you imagine the joy, thrill, awe Mary must have experienced that first Christmas? Scripture says Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

In the Greek treasured means

1. to preserve (a thing from perishing or being lost)

2. to keep within one's self, keep in mind (a thing, lest it be forgotten)

Mary held onto all of these wonders in her mind so she would not forget them. Which was a good thing because as a good Jewish woman, she would know about the prophesies telling what awaited her precious newborn child.

Mary’s precious son…

·         would be despised and rejected.  Isaiah 53:3

·         would be forsaken.  Psalm 22:1

·         would be plotted against to kill God's anointed.  Psalm 31:13

·         would be mocked and abused.  Isaiah 50:3–6

·         would pierce Christ's hands and feet. Psalm 22:16

·         would be sacrificed as our Passover Lamb.  Exodus 12:21–27

How could Mary live each day with both the joy of being the mother of her wonderful son and the burden of knowing the horrible struggles which awaited Him?

Remember what Mary did on that first Christmas?  She treasured up all the wonders so she could preserve them in her mind and never lose them. I wonder how many times Mary pulled back the memories of that first Christmas to pull her through watching the struggles of her child?

It’s time for you to take a moment and think of Christmas moments that you can treasure in your heart. When the burdens of your patients begin to pull at you, allow these priceless treasures to fill your heart.