4TH WEEK OF ADVENT

From this day all generations will call me blessed. 

Imagine how Mary felt when the angel invited her to be mother of the Messiah! It would have been like a dream come true for a young Hebrew woman. What a privilege to cradle the Promised One in your arms, to teach him to pray, and to watch him grow strong and compassionate under your guidance. Yes, she was blessed indeed.

But surely these blessings came with a generous dose of challenges. A heavily pregnant Mary suffered the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. When her time came to give birth, she found herself in a stable with no experienced midwife. As a refugee in Egypt, she had to adapt to a new language and culture far from home. She and Joseph experienced one of a parent’s worst fears when they lost Jesus in Jerusalem for three days. Then, as Jesus began his ministry, she must have felt deeply every attack against her cherished son. It all culminated at the foot of the cross.

As Simeon had prophesied, a sword pierced Mary’s heart in many ways through her life (Luke 2:35). Clearly being blessed didn’t insulate her from sadness or perplexity. It also didn’t include a full understanding of how each difficult piece fit into the plan.

So how did Mary remain convinced that she was blessed? Luke tells us, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). She wasn’t afraid to question God and ask for greater understanding. And as she waited for his answers, she clung to what she knew: God had chosen her for a special purpose, and he would continue to hold her in his loving care.

Each of us is truly blessed. Like Mary, elements of that blessing leap out at us, and we respond with joy. But also like Mary, there are many moments when we have trouble discerning that blessing. Yet God is still with us through it all—and that’s the greatest of all blessings.

Take a moment right now to thank God for the ways he has blessed you. Then think of a blessing that didn’t look like a blessing at first. Surely he will always care for you!

“Lord, you have done great things for me. I am blessed indeed.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
(Psalm) 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8
Luke 1:46-56