Luke tells the story of an encounter between two women who have both been chosen to have very special pregnancies. You have Elizabeth, a woman much too old to have a child and has wanted a child for many years. Then, you have Mary. Mary is a young woman, still a girl. She isn't married yet, and she finds herself in a difficult situation. As exciting as it was to carry our savior, I can't imagine what it was like for her socially.
Mary goes to Elizabeth for wisdom. At this point in my life, I identify more with Elizabeth. And I can't help but wonder if my response would have been as graceful and loving. Or would I have been more critical and self-centered? I think of the things Elizabeth could have thought or said:
"That Mary! She thinks she is so special because she's a pregnant virgin. Big deal. Let her carry a baby when she's as old as I am and then she can talk about 'miracles'."
"Now, Mary. Let's not get too carried away. Yes, your baby is the Messiah. But keep it in check, girl. He's gonna need the help of my John."
"Mary, you need to get yourself some faith. I didn't stress at all when the angel told me about my baby. Guess I'm just more spiritual than you."
Even though these examples seem silly, I sometimes feel that spirit within myself when my girl pals are experiencing blessings. This little Elizabeth doll caused me to really search Elizabeth's response and I felt that there are some big lessons for all women, not just our young girls. So, how did Elizabeth respond to Mary?
The first thing she did was recognize God's role. The Bible says when Mary entered the room, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Next, she encouraged Mary. And she wasn't quiet. She used a loud voice and exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women." I mean she really wanted Mary to feel special. She didn't want to take one spot of that light away from her.
And then Elizabeth praised Mary for her commitment to God.
"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her."
In this world full of social "ME"-dia, it can be a little challenging to not get to full of ourselves at times. But I hope that I can learn from Elizabeth and praise my young friends on their journey with God. Because, honestly, sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations...even when we KNOW it is God's will. If we see a friend in this situation, we need to see God's role, encourage them and then praise them for their commitment.