There’s More to Your Story: Lessons From the Easter Storyنموونە

# A LESSON FROM MARY: ### There’s More to Your Promise “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28) Envisioning the promise is different than living in it. Mary was chosen to birth the Messiah, the one promised for hundreds of years. She was called highly favored, and called to raise a son whose kingdom would never end (Luke 1:33). But what happens when your experience doesn’t match your expectation? Mary saw Jesus arrive on this earth as her baby boy. He was a promise kept, not just to her, but to generations. She also saw Him lose His life at the hands of those He came to save. She watched her son suffer. She watched her promise die. Have you ever embraced a dream, a relationship, or a calling, just to turn around and watch it end? You thought God had one thing in store for you, but it turned out differently than you imagined. How do you move forward when your expectation doesn’t meet reality? Mary saw her son die. Her relationship with Him, on earth, was finished. But Mary learned, through her pain, that even though “living it” looks different than “envisioning it,” God’s promise never fails. In Scripture, Mary is mentioned one more time after the loss of her son. In this moment, she was talking to God, “praying constantly” (Acts 1:14). She chose to move forward in faith, even through her loss. The promise made to Mary didn’t play out how any mother would plan. She faced some low points. She dealt with loss. But that didn’t change her commitment to what God was calling her into. She continued to pray with the disciples. She became one of the first members of the church. And the promise she watched die resurrected into something more than she ever expected. Her son died, but her Messiah rose. Even through the unimaginable, you don’t have to hide, ignore, or deny your pain. Acknowledge your disappointments. Face them prayerfully. Give God the space to reveal Himself to you as you move forward one step at a time. You’re still here, so He’s not done with you yet. There’s still more to your promise. “I am the Lord’s servant […]. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38a)