In the first chapter of Luke, we read about Mary and the visit she receives from the angel who tells her she will be the mother of Jesus.
Can you imagine receiving this earth-shattering news? One minute you’re tidying up the house, dreaming about your wedding and the home you’ll have with your fiancé Joseph, and suddenly, you’re about to be a mother, even though you’ve never slept with a man. And, you’re told, you won’t be just any mother – but the mother of God’s Son! It would be enough to make my knees bend and my head swoon.
I wonder how Mary felt at that moment. Was she afraid? Overwhelmed? In shock? Did she tremble with the thought of how she was going to handle it all? The Bible doesn’t say much about the state of her emotions, except that she was “thoroughly shaken” (Luke 1:29, The Message) from seeing an angel at her doorstep. I wonder if her first thought was how she would tell Joseph… or what her parents would think. I wonder if she had the scary sensation of being left completely on her own; did she envision the possibility of being deserted and forced to manage this unexpected pregnancy and life-altering event all by herself?
God, however, had something else in mind. The angel quickly lets her know she’s not alone – her cousin Elizabeth is also pregnant.
“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant. Nothing, you see, is impossible with God,” the angel tells her (Luke 1:36).
Mary’s eyes must have widened. Elizabeth? The one who told me stories when I was just a toddler? Elizabeth, who is old enough to be my grandmother? Her prayer for a child has been answered, after all these years.
And that’s when she sees it. That’s when it clicks. There is Elizabeth’s calling, and there is hers. God must know what He’s doing.
“Yes, I see it all now,” she tells the angel. “I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.” (Luke 1:38)
Mary has reported for duty. She has stepped up to the task God has laid before her. She accepts God’s invitation to be part of something that will change the world forever.
And then she does something else. She goes and sees her friend.
This is where we need to stop. This is where we need to pay attention.
Mary could have told herself that she’d be fine, that she could handle the morning sickness and the nerves and the looks and whispers of other people by herself. But she recognizes the treasure the angel has passed to her when he tells her about Elizabeth. She doesn’t have to go through this new adventure by herself.
So she travels to visit Elizabeth. The Bible says she doesn’t “waste a minute” (Luke 1:39).
And Elizabeth doesn’t disappoint. She is a friend of friends and offers three things we can all benefit from. First, she gives Mary encouragement.
“You’re so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed!” Elizabeth tells her young cousin. (Luke 1:42)
She gives her confirmation.
“And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, the babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.” (Luke 1:44)
She also gives Mary affirmation.
“Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true!” (Luke 1:45)
Encouragement, confirmation, affirmation. These are things we all need as we go through life. We can receive these things from God. We can also receive these things from friends, and I believe we need to have it from both.
It is tempting when we’re going through challenges to go into Fort Mode. We strengthen the perimeter, secure the entrances, pull up the drawbridge. We depend on ourselves and no one else. But that’s not what God desires for us.
Sure, friends can let you down. They can make mistakes or ask ridiculous questions or simply not understand. But they can also encourage you when you need it the most. They can rally around you when the marathon you’re running feels too long. They can offer a tissue when you just need to cry. And they can help you stand up when you need to keep going.
This is our vision for Wives of Faith. We want to see military wives connected, encouraged and supported – and who best to do that than by each other? Like Mary and Elizabeth, we share similar but different experiences. Not one military experience is alike because every military family is different but we can relate to one another at the same time.
If you are not part of a Wives of Faith chapter, I’d like to encourage you to consider being a part of one this coming year. And if there isn’t a chapter near you, maybe you will feel the call to start one in your area. I hope you’ll join with me in praying for military wives everywhere that we will find connections and friendships and together, learn to walk the road God desires for each of us.
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I love your title – "Doing Life Together". All too often, we try to do it by ourselves. But the journey is so much more pleasant, not to mention easier, when we walk together, laugh together, and help to carry one another's loads.
Renae