The human mind is a picture gallery, and the human heart is a treasure chest. God did not install a border wall in our gray matter that isolates what we see from what we remember. If you want to create lasting impressions on people, hang pictures in their minds. That’s what sticks. The people who watched President Obama’s State of the Union address in 2013 may not remember a thing from Marco Rubio’s response, but they will never forget the image of Senator Rubio awkwardly reaching for a bottle of water in the middle of his remarks.

Sweet Mary took in every scene of her son’s short life. She saw it all from the nativity to the crucifixion. She watched her son deal with people and saw their reaction to him. It all made an impression on her faith because she also needed to understand who he was. What she saw was as important as what she heard. Her nights must have been filled at times with pleasant dreams and at other times with horrible nightmares because she “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Her faith developed in the heart of her mind as she interpreted the pictures in her mind. The Bible and life itself hang pictures in our minds. They are exhibitions of God’s power and God’s love. When we reflect on them, they warm our hearts and we treasure who he is.