‘At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.' Luke 1:39-40
Christmas can be a stressful time, maybe because of being alone and isolated or maybe trying to navigate the pressure of being with difficult family members.
I love that in this very first Advent season, God led Mary to spend several months of her pregnancy with her distant cousin Elizabeth. Maybe, as well as encouraging Mary that God could do the impossible, this was also why Gabriel told her that her cousin was now miraculously pregnant after being barren all her life? God was giving her counsel as to how she could best step into her calling and live from a place of hope.
I imagine that after Gabriel’s visit, Mary may have panicked, running those closest to her through her mind trying desperately to think who she could go to for support at this shattering time. You may feel that you are alone too and maybe humanly you are right? Mary knew that the consequences of her ‘yes ‘to God could be serious. She could even be stoned and who on earth would believe her news, let alone support her? If you are struggling with similar feelings, know that God is for you and doesn't want any of us to face life alone. He brought the one person to Mary’s heart who could be a real source of empathy, encouragement and care and he wants to do that for us all.
At the moment I am recovering from surgery on top of having a broken shoulder and am a bit incapacitated. Just like Mary, Marilyn and I are needing the support and care of our friends to get through this time. Sometimes it may not be obvious where we’ll get such support from, but the Lord knows how to bring the right people to us at the right time. Mary didn’t just hear Gabriel tell her about Elizabeth, she acted on it, making her way alone across difficult terrain to a person she knew would help her and who, she would help too. God will guide us but we do need to step out too. He will give us all the courage and strength we need to ask and receive.
As we go through Advent take time to ponder that Jesus' coming, means God With Us. His promise is that he’ll always be with us and sometimes we receive that truth more deeply as we allow those around us to be a source of his encouragement and care, remembering that we too are called to be that to others. Mary brought Elizabeth just as much affirmation and joy as Elizabeth brought Mary. How beautiful.
Prayer: Lord thankyou with all my heart that you know our need of support, fellowship and encouragement. Please open my heart to whoever you want to use to encourage me today and please use me to be a source of your loving encouragement to someone who feels alone. Amen.
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