“Most blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Luke
1:42
Her hands were
covered in flour as she kneaded the dough back and forth, up and
down. She pushed the dough to evenly mix the moisture through the
flour and yeast. The rhythm gave her mind a chance to wonder as her
body worked. A smile bloomed on her face as she recalled the
tenderness of her husband over the past six months. Though mute, he
had expressed his love for her and his awe at the workings of God.
She put her
hand to her back as she straightened it. A small look of concern
passed her eyes as she wondered yet again why she hadn't felt her
child move, though she had carried him for six months. Perhaps here
was her test to believe what Zechariah had been told. That even at
her age, she would bear a son. While stroking her side, she pondered
what joy and gladness this promise gave.
She sat on a
bench in the courtyard and leaned against the wall to let the warmth
of the sun soak the tension from her face. “Ah, just for a moment
to enjoy the quiet.”
“Elizabeth –
Elizabeth...”
Her hands flew
to hold her stomach as her mouth laughed out loud. She got to her
feet as quickly as she could as her dear young kinswoman entered the
courtyard. They reached to embrace each other and laughed as their
faces touched but their bodies were interrupted by her stomach
swollen with child. Mary's eyes widened as she felt movement against
her during their embrace. She backed away enough to place her hand on
her cousin's side and marveled at this movement she was yet to feel
in her own body.
Once again
they pressed cheeks, pulled back, and, as their eyes met, they shared
their joy, their blessing. In that look, Elizabeth saw with her heart
more than her mind could conceive.
Filled with
the Holy Spirit, she 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!”
The following was published in the Texarkana Parent Magazine in the November/December 2012 issue. It is on page 25 of the following: http://editiondigital.net/publication/?i=131938
Corby
Eisbacher's artwork depicts the meeting between two pregnant women:
Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of
Jesus. The Advent season is a time to ponder Christ's coming to our
world, a story the New Testament records for us beginning with his
conception and early in his teen-aged mother's pregnancy.
I remember a time when I felt like their older kinswoman, Elizabeth.
At age 36, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. My first two
pregnancies had no morning sickness. With this one, I was miserable
from waking in the morning until finally falling asleep at night. I
just wanted my mom, who happened to be backpacking across Europe
without today's convenient internet connections! As I started to feel
better, my doctor diagnosed placenta previa that placed me at even
higher risk. Soon thereafter, my husband's job, our sole source of
income, was terminated.
Somehow
in the midst of the poverty, weakness, and fear, God's love broke
through. He taught us the truth of his words in 2 Cor 12:9 “My
grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
The power of Christ's love was proven in so many ways: a baby shower
from strangers, a job for David, money coming from unexpected
avenues,
generous and skilled doctors. Most of all, his loving strength broke
through in the joy we found in each other and in the safe delivery of
our healthy baby girl.
The
afternoon following her birth, her pediatrician came to my room. He
laid
his hand on her, smiled, and said, “She is one of God's miracles.”
I was delighted by his description and pondered how she is a miracle
of God's love. It was years later before I realized that he probably
said this about every infant he examined. What a wonderful way to
affirm that each child is a gift of God's loving creation.
Though
it was an unplanned pregnancy, Catherine was never an unwanted child.
I couldn't imagine why it was so painful, but God knew well the plans
he had for us. He reminded us that, “when you seek me with all
your heart, you will find me with
you,
and I will change your lot.” Jer 29:13-14
He not only changed our lot, but the lives of so many who know and
love Catherine.
During this Thanksgiving season, I pray for pregnant women,
especially those at high risk. May God the Father provide for their
needs through the loving actions of others. May Jesus, our brother,
strengthen them, breaking into their world with joy. And may their
fears be soothed with a sure awareness of the Holy Spirit's plan for
their lives.
