Christmas: Follow Mary's Example in Luke 2:19

By Jeremy C. Burton, Op-Ed Contributor Sunday, December 25, 2016

The Virgin Mary is seen from the artwork 'The Virgin on the Rocks' by Leonardo da Vinci (1491-1508), at the National Gallery in London July 14, 2010. — The Virgin Mary is seen from the artwork "The Virgin on the Rocks" by Leonardo da Vinci (1491-1508), at the National Gallery in London July 14, 2010. | BRITAIN-LEONARDO/ REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett (BRITAIN - Tags: SOCIETY ENTERTAINMENT)

I was exhausted. I walked thousands of steps that day including over 20 flights of stairs on a construction site. What I needed at that moment was to sit down for a few minutes.

As I rested in the hotel lobby in Washington, D.C., I looked down at my dreadfully dusty dress shoes. Not only were they laden with construction grime, but also a small gap had opened up in between the leather upper and the sole and some of the dust had worked down inside the shoe. But then I thought about the miles I had walked this year.

I was in Washington, D.C. on this occasion leading a hard-hat Instagram tour at the construction site of Museum of the Bible. The rain had just let up as we took a group from many walks of life up the staircase to capture the museum at sunset. They all were captivated by the size and scope of this amazing organization and this building just three blocks south of the U.S. Capitol.

In that restful moment, the dust reminded me of the journey I was on and gave me a grateful heart. These have been times that I have and will always treasure.

This is an important principle modeled by Jesus's mother, Mary.

Jesus was born and lying in the manager when Mary and Joseph received a few visitors. A group of shepherds had come bustling in from an amazing encounter with an angel of the Lord.

As a lifelong communicator, I love that the next thing the shepherds did was go and tell others! It was too exciting to keep under wraps. Mary's response to the entire scene was remarkable:

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

While none of us will ever comprehend the depth of Mary's joy, we can take inventory of the amazing moments God placed in our lives to treasure and ponder.

As 2016 comes to a close, look back and reflect the memorable points from the last year. The victories, defeats and everything in between. Hold tight to those memories that make your heart skip a beat.

Jeremy C. Burton, APR, is the Director of Communications for Museum of the Bible and author of "Manifesto on Social Media Influence." Jeremy has led efforts to reach millions of people through social media and earned media programs. On Twitter at @JeremyBurton.