"Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?"
Gospel Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
All Good Things!
by Donald Jalbuna
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” - Luke 1:45
In one of the Gospels, Luke talks about Mary being visited by an angel with the news that she would give birth to a son.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Mary is very much willing to obey God, she trusts that the word of the angel is true - but she asks how God will accomplish this task since she has never been intimate with a man.
She was asking “How will it be” not “How can it be”.
When you encounter a challenging situation, you will also ask, “How will it be?”
“How will it be possible for me to get healed of my sickness because I am feeling so much pain right now?”
“How will it be possible for me to get out of debt when I am not getting any good breaks in my business?”
“How will it be possible for me to get the promotion at work when my boss and colleagues appear to be against my career advancement?”
“How will it be possible for me to have a good relationship with my child when we have not been talking for several months already?”
Like Mary, life is throwing you many challenges that you find yourself asking - “How will it be Lord?”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Like Mary, in humility let us surrender our worries to the Lord. Trust that He will carry you through all of life’s challenges.
Let us take heed of what the psalmist said, “Even though I walk through the valley, I will have no fear for You, my Lord are with me.”
God never said that you would not go through valleys, but He does promise that you would not go through them alone.
After my failed marriage my daughter was with me for 5 years. We have a very close father-daughter relationship. I enjoyed seeing her grow up to be the wonderful lady that she is today.
My ex migrated to the United States and our daughter decided to go with her. Though she will be thousands of miles away, I have always known that there will come a time when she needs to develop a relationship with her mom.
Even when you have a 20-year-old daughter, as they say, parenting never stops. My daughter and I talk regularly and I try to be with her as she navigates her new life in the United States. And as with any other parent-child relationship we had our share of misunderstandings - and for a time we did not talk for several months.
And like Mary, I trusted the Lord that this challenge would come to pass. Life is a classroom and experience is the teacher. As a parent, I knew that at this stage in my daughter’s life, I needed to step back and allow her to experience life in all of its glory - and misfortunes.
And as Romans 8:28 says, “All good things come to those who love (and wait for) the Lord.” Today, my daughter and I are now on good terms - and are making plans to see each other in person soon! It is the best Christmas ever!
This Christmas may you find solace in the fact that there is no storm He won’t bring you through, nor obstacles He won’t help you overcome. He will help you fight your battles.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that Your plans for me are for good, it is always for my brighter future. Thank You that the difficulties that I face are temporary and pale in comparison to the glory that is coming. I speak words of faith out loud that I will see You release Your promises in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Gift for Jesus:
Offer all of your worries to the Lord. Remember that God can bring light and hope out of the worst situation.
Donald Jalbuna is an entrepreneur and a global learning professional. He used to serve in parishes and Catholic communities as a Lay Minister of the Word.
No comments:
Post a Comment