Hopeful joy!
Never lose hope, my heart, miracles dwell in the invisible.
Rumi
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Luke 1:46-56
Reflect on a time when a loved one gave you encouragement in tough circumstances…and that encouragement helped hope to blossom. If you have never told that person of the significance of their words, now is a good time to reach out and thank them!
Soon after Mary was told by an angel of her miraculous pregnancy, she went to visit her older and unexpectedly pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. Now, Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy while Mary had just found out that she was to have the baby Jesus. One can only imagine how life must have seemed surreal to Mary at that time. Yet, when she reaches Elizabeth’s home, Elizabeth’s unborn baby leaps in her womb and Elizabeth spontaneously shares a prophecy. Mary responds with clearly God given words spoken from a place of pure hopeful joy.
Luke notes that Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Mary visited for three months. In that era, it wasn’t unusual to spend longer times at relatives as travel was harder, but there had to be a tremendous amount of shared hope between the two women as they anticipated their babies. It also must have been a significant comfort to Mary that Elizabeth believed that Mary had been visited by the angel and recognized that Mary’s baby was to be from a virgin birth. This would have very much encouraged Mary and given her hope for when she did return to her home, where it’s likely that she endured disbelief and gossip. Likewise, Mary would have encouraged Elizabeth who was in her final three months of the pregnancy.
Reflect on a time when a loved one gave you encouragement in tough circumstances…and that encouragement helped hope to blossom. If you have never told that person of the significance of their words, now is a good time to reach out and thank them!
