LITTLE WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS

ME AND MY MOM

MY NEXT GENERATION OF LITTLE WOMEN

““How kind the Lord is!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:25‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/luk.1.25.nlt

“Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/luk.1.38.nlt

“Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:36-38‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/luk.2.36-38.nlt

Anna, Elizabeth, and Mary.  God’s own version of “Little Women.”  I call them “Little Women of Christmas.”  Three very different women from three very different generations.  Each woman has her own style of wisdom and grace, and each woman can teach me a lesson or two about being a godly lady, wife and mother.  It makes me think of my mom, me, and my daughters and daughter-in-law.  My mom’s generation is known as the “Silent Generation.”  I had to look that up.  The theory behind this label “Silent Generation” is the children who grew up during this time worked very hard and kept quiet.  Huuum I did not know this.  My generation is known as Gen X or the unknown generation.  My daughters are Generation Y.  They are the rise of the information age.  God has taught each of these generation of women a different type of wisdom based on our own experiences, just as we can learn a different spiritual truth from Anna, Elizabeth, and Mary.

Today I am just going to look at Elizabeth.  I love her name.  It means “Oath of God, or God’s Oath.”  It means God is the oath keeper.  I have an Elizabeth.  My middle child is Magen Elizabeth.  She was named after my husband’s grandmother.  Her first name means shield.  So literally Magen’s name means “Shield of God’s Oath.”  I love that.  Her name speaks a thousand promises of God to me.  Kevin and I didn’t know all this when we named her, but now looking back I see God’s hand as we named each of our three kids.  God was the One working behind the scene as we named them.

Now knowing the meaning of her name, I picture a regal woman.  In my mind, as I think of Elizabeth, Laura Bush comes popping up.  Regal but with humble grace.  A real Proverbs 31 type of lady.  Virtuous and capable.  Zechariah trusts her.  When he is in the limelight serving the Lord, she is in the shadows praying and serving her man.  She greatly enriches his life.  She brings Zechariah good. She is wise and energetic.  She was righteous in God’s eyes.  She was careful to obey all of the Lord’s commands.  And when somehow Zechariah conveyed all he saw behing the veil to the Holy Place, she believed him and did not doubt him.  She believed the Lord’s Promise thatnZechariah had received and she nurtured that promise.

“When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.  soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.  “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed.  “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”  Luke 1:32-25

Oh my goodness.  Did you catch her grace and humility?  When she received the fulfillment of that promise, she went into seclusion.  She didn’t tweet it, facebook it, or instagram it.  She didn’t go to the yenta circle and say, “Look I told you so.”  She went away with God and let Him nurture the promise.  You know what, I got nothing.  I am absolutely blown away with the royal beauty those words paint for me.  She is my own personal “Queen Elizabeth of quiet grace and humbleness.”  She didn’t want to do anything after receiving the Promise but get in seclusion and worship the Only One Who could fulfill that promise.

“How kind the Lord is! (exclamation mark)