Miraculous anticipation…

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Luke 1:26-33

We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery. HG Wells

 Mary was pledged to Joseph—a commitment nearly equivalent to marriage in Biblical times. Imagine her reaction when Gabriel tells her that she is to have a baby, and not just any baby, but Jesus, the Son of the Most High.  No doubt that there was shock and an initial inability to fully comprehend the angel’s news.  Yet her strong faith was to sustain her, allowing her to anticipate the miraculous event. 

 Have you ever had something promised that you struggled to believe possible because it was the essence of the phrase “too good to be true”?  Yet, when you realized that this wonderful thing was going to happen, you began to anticipate it with hope and joy.  Perhaps the impending birth of the grandchild that you never thought that you were going to have.  Or maybe your dream house is becoming a definite possibility.  When seemingly miraculous things begin to happen in your life, remember to savor the anticipation!