Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
It had been, ahem, a rather unusual year or so for the young girl.
First, Mary is betrothed to Joseph. (I will not enter the debate about what exactly that meant, whether they were “engaged” or had entered into a marriage not planning to consummate the union.) Then an angel tells her she’s going to conceive in a unique way. Then she goes to visit an older relative, who it turns out is pregnant for the first time as well. Then there’s the trip to Bethlehem, the less than comfortable setting for her baby’s birth, and the visit by the shepherds, who carry an angel’s message.
Even one of those peculiar circumstances, let alone all of them, for most of us would result in great teeth gnashing, social media what-the-heck postings, processing with friends, and a whole lot of prayer requests.
And yet, we see Mary in Luke 2:16-29 as calm, peaceful, serene. She 
doesn’t ask Joseph or anyone else what all this means. She reflects in her heart, because no other human being can understand exactly what’s happened to her. She reflects in her heart, because she knows the Lord knows her… and will continue to guide her.
That’s not to say it’s always wrong to vent about our situations, in person or on social media. But sharing can be a crutch. It can put us at the center of the storm, rather than He who is always there and will take us through the choppiest of waters and the highest of gales. May we learn from Mary’s example and discern the times our fears and concerns are best kept in our hearts, awaiting His healing balm.
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