In the fall of 2003 I met a remarkable woman, with a beautiful smile and a life-giving personality. And no, she wasn’t my wife. She was my wife’s mother. We immediately hit it off so well that one of the last things she said to me was, “Take care of my daughter.” It was as if she knew that less than a year later she would fall asleep in Jesus after her courageous battle with cancer. Losing her mother was one of the hardest things my wife has had to face. And while there is no one on earth that can replace your mother, God graciously placed other mothers into my wife’s life at critical moments when she needed her mother. Mothers like Roxanna Hughes, who though she was grieving the tragic death of her own husband, continued to pray specifically for Deedre as she grieved the loss of her mother. Mothers like Judy Westerdahl who, just a fews weeks before our wedding, bummed into my wife, who was in the bathroom of the church building and was crying because she wouldn’t have her mother with her at our wedding. Judy gave her a hug, looked her in the eyes and said, “I will be your mother. I love you and I am proud of you.” Judy then sacrificed being at her best friend’s birthday party to be there for Deedre, at our wedding, as her mother. Then after we got married and moved to Atlanta, there was Joana Reider, along with her husband Jack, who drove over 8 hours to meet us at a Young Adult Retreat that we were attending in northern Florida. Then right in the middle of the spiritual high of that weekend, Joana and her husband said to us that they came all that way specifically to see us. This touched Deedre’s heart so deeply that she cried that night with tears of joy and gratitude. And then there was the impact of other mothers like my mother, her aunt V and several of her “mom squad” friends at RPC. These were godly, Spirit-filled women who poured into her life.
Then came the day when Deedre found out she was going to be a mommy. You can imagine the mixed emotions she felt, for she was happy to be bringing a baby boy into the world and then eventually a baby girl into the world, but she didn’t have her mother there to revel in these moments with her. Then less than a year ago Deedre’s sister discovered that she too was having a baby boy and went through the same emotions of wishing her mom was there too. Yet the beauty that came out of this was that Deedre now had the privilege of being there for her younger sister as she went through the entire pregnancy and delivery experience. She felt so good to give her sister the gift that other mothers had given her. She was a mother pouring into a younger mother… her sister.
Well, today I want to invite you into the story of another young mother who needed someone to pour into her life. Watch her as she quickly leaves the poor village of Nazareth and hurries off on the 3 to 5 day journey to the hill country of Judea, with the words of the angel still ringing in her ears, that she would give birth to the Messiah through the Holy Spirit. It is likely that Mary didn’t take this journey alone, but travelled with a caravan of friends or relatives, because the threat of being robbed along the way was very real, had she gone alone. She is on her way to meet, unannounced, her much older relative Elizabeth, whom the angel just happened to mention was miraculously pregnant in her old age, in order to inspire Mary’s faith in God’s unfailing word. It is this same word that has now completely altered the course of Mary’s life and now makes undeniably clear her role and purpose as the mother of the Christ. And while it makes sense that she would want to see Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy in her old age, which must have brought to her mind the similar story of Sarah’s miracle pregnancy with Isaac, I’m left wondering why she didn’t just stay home. If she believed God’s unfailing word to her by the angel, that her purpose was to give birth to the Messiah via the Holy Spirit, then why even go see if what he said about Elizabeth was true? It’s as if Mary is seeking confirmation on the word God has already spoken to her. Is this a lack of faith on her part or was this the purpose for which the angel made the reference to Elizabeth’s 6 months of pregnancy? And what does this mean for you and God’s purpose for you now, even in the midst of this COVID-19 global pandemic. If the word of God has already given you your purpose, then why seek confirmation? Well, let’s find out by joining Mary on her journey to Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah’s house. Mary’s entrance is kind of like watching your favorite family sitcom on TV, where the friend or relative of the family just walks right into the house uninvited. Mary just walks right in and greets Elizabeth. Then watch what happens next in Luke 1:41-42…