Merry Christmas

There are many things about this season of celebrating our Savior’s birth that amaze me and make me ponder (don’t you just love that word?). There’s a wonderment that catches my heart everytime I think about how the story surrounding His birth happened.

Every year, I try to be aware of a deepness in the story I may not have noticed before. And in the same as other times, this year has been no different.

I believe because of the state my heart has been in lately that God opened my eyes to see the number of times encouragement happened. You see, I love to encourage people. It’s my superpower and I thrive when I have the chance to do so. But in the past few months, it has not felt like many opportunities have arisen for various reasons. So, I was a bit surprised when this was what God brought to my attention.

An encouragement happens between Gabriel and Mary when he calls her blessed and tells her she doesn’t need to be afraid right in the midst of what must have been very shocking to her to be visiting with an angel of all things! (Luke 1:26-38) Plus, he calls her blessed. I wonder if she thought the declaraion fit?

Have you ever had someone say something touching to you and you questioned what grounds they used to say it? Maybe that’s how Mary felt as well.

Another encouraging moment happens when Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is also expecting a child. Elizabeth “was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41) when she heard Mary’s voice and called her blessed twice.

Have two people in two totally different venues said similar things to you and made you wonder if they’d been talking about you? I wonder what this kind of encouragement did to Mary’s heart. Did it strengthen her? Did it make her curious, excited, and a bit nervous about whatever was ahead of her? Did it make her feel seen by God that He would allow such beautiful words to be spoken of her?

After the birth of Jesus, the angels went and sang to a group of shepherds and emboldened them to go see the baby (Luke 2:9-14). It seems that their visit encouraged Mary because Luke 2 says she pondered “all these things” in her heart.

What questions do you suppose rose within Mary at all the things happening around her and within her. These encouragements would be key in the days to years ahead wtih all Mary would see and hear.

And God had already provided what she needed before any of it happened.

When Jesus was taken to the temple as was the custom (Luke 2:21-38), a man names Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed Mary and Joseph. Can you imagine the thoughts going through the minds of both Mary and Joseph? They were listening, but they would have had no real idea the depth of what was being said because nothing like this had ever happened before. The prophetess, Anna, also greeted them and gave words of blessing to them concerning the road before the baby they held.

What did Mary and Joseph think after these encounters? They were words spoken by people who were seeking God and watching for His movement. They were blessings spoken by average beings who lived in the moment but whose eyes were set on more than the present. They would have had no idea of the power behind their words.

That’s the thing with encouragement. We might give it not knowing how deeply it would impact a person at the time or for the future. We may receive it and not realize how much pondering the words deep within us and storing them for another day would be key to what was ahead of us.

Encouragement is one of those intangibles that not only cannot be seen but the impact of it may never be known by the one giving the encoruagement.

And that is difficult for someone like me who loves to give it, but also really wants to see the result. It’s kind of like a Christmas gift. It’s fun to send gifts, but to watch in person as someone opens the gift we give is more than half of the joy.

But that wasn’t what God expected from Elizabeth, Simeon, or Anna. Their words spoken in the moment would last longer than the experience.

And that’s what I need to remember, and maybe what you do as well. The encouraging words God places on our hearts to share with someone are planted within the recipent’s heart to be considered in the moment and pondered at another time when most needed. Our job is to be faithful to the wonder of God within us sharing hope and joy and encouragement with those God brings across our path however that happens.

We can also remember that any encouragement we have to give is because of the blessings God places on us each day. We can share them as He shared His love through the coming of Emmanuel. Because He is with us, we can share hope, joy, and encouragement with others.

I’m praying your heart is focused on Him, the reason He came, and the gift of His love.

Merry Christmas.