December 18, 2025

Luke 2:19-29

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Imagine being in Mary’s shoes, while the shepherds glorified and praised God for all they had seen and heard, Mary was pondering all that she had witnessed.  The miraculous events overwhelmed her with emotions. Her reaction of treasuring and pondering shows us the depth of her faith and spiritual connection to the divine. Rather than letting these extraordinary occurrences pass by unnoticed or forgotten, Mary chose to hold them close to her heart and reflect on their significance.

Just a little donkey,

but on my back I bore

The one and only Savior

the world was waiting for.

 

Just a little donkey,

but I was strong and proud—

I gladly carried Mary

through the chaos of the crowd.

 

I brought her to a stable

where she made a tiny bed…

A place for Baby Jesus

to lay His little head.

 

I pray the world remembers

that special Christmas night

When just a little donkey

carried Heaven’s Precious Light.

~ Rita Beer

There’s no scientific explanation for the cross-shaped marking on a donkey’s back, yet many see it as a quiet reminder from God. Did God place that mark there? We can’t say for certain. What we do know is that a donkey carried Mary to Bethlehem before the birth of the Christ Child, and a donkey carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Perhaps we’ll never have a definite answer on this side of heaven. But for me, I believe God touched the donkey’s back with a cross as a gentle reminder of His presence and His story woven through creation.

Christmas Blessings to All

Until Next Time