The Christmas QuestSample

Day 4 – When Mary Met Elizabeth
Luke 1:39-45

When Jenn and I were pregnant with our first daughter, Brooklyn, several of our friends were also pregnant with their first children. Our joy and excitement for the arrival of our baby was multiplied by the excitement of our friends! Many of the things Jenn was experiencing while preparing for our daughter’s arrival, her friends were also experiencing. Several of my friends were preparing to become fathers, building nurseries, and anticipating their new roles as dads. While nothing could fully prepare us for becoming parents, it was such a gift to have a community around us going through the same thing at the same time.

I’ve always said that community is like the “You Are Here” mark on an amusement park map. Often in life you know where you want to go, and you have a sense of the bigger picture, but if you don’t know where you are on the map, it’s nearly impossible to navigate to where you want to be. In life, community helps you know where you are. And this is especially true when raising kids. Without our friends who were raising kids alongside us, we would have thought our children were psychopaths. Why are you eating out of the garbage? Why would you jump on my back from the couch? Why are you painting the walls with that? Why did you do that? But when I spent time with friends who were also raising kids, I quickly realized we were all dealing with the same things. And if all our kids were crazy—then maybe none of them really were.

I love that God knew Mary would need that kind of help. She couldn’t carry and raise Jesus alone. And it wouldn’t have been enough to just have a neighbor who was pregnant, because Mary had been told about her Son by an angel! How do you talk to your friends about pregnancy when you’re a virgin carrying the child of God? Mary must have felt incredibly isolated, with no one who could truly relate. So, in His kindness, God also gave a child to her relative Elizabeth. Not only could they share the journey of pregnancy, but both women could relate to the miraculous nature of their children’s births—announced by angels and filled with divine purpose.

God could have chosen anyone to be John the Baptist’s mother. But instead, He chose Elizabeth—Mary’s own family—so that Mary wouldn’t have to walk this journey alone.

God created us for one another. Life isn’t meant to be lived in isolation. This Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the problems within our families, friendships, or relationships. But remember: God has placed people in your life for a reason. Sometimes it’s to challenge us. Sometimes it’s because we need them more than we realize. Either way, embrace and invest in your relationships this Christmas—you don’t have to do life alone.

Family Devo – Fun is Better Together!

There are some incredible roller coasters in the world. Some go 60 mph in just a few seconds, some go upside down, and some are in the dark. All roller coasters create feelings inside of us! We may feel afraid, surprised, joyful, amused, anxious, excited, or a mixture of all of those feelings! Maybe you have ridden a roller coaster or another fun ride! Imagine riding that ride all by yourself, experiencing those feelings, and then getting off the ride by yourself. It would be weird to have no one to talk to about it! Now imagine riding that ride with your friend or a family member and then getting off the ride with them. You could talk about how each of you felt throughout the ride! Maybe you’d both even decide to ride it again! Sharing experiences, thoughts, and feelings with people we love helps us feel less alone and helps us to see joy and blessings from God.

After the angel told her she was to have God’s son, Mary hurried to see her relative and friend Elizabeth. She was so excited to hear that Elizabeth was also having a baby! Then, when Mary entered the room, Elizabeth’s baby jumped in her stomach. Elizabeth and her baby were filled with God’s joy for Mary and Jesus. Surely both Elizabeth and Mary felt afraid, surprised, joyful, amused, anxious, excited, and a mixture of all those feelings, just like they were on a roller coaster! Together, they could talk and see the joy and blessings from God. When we share our experiences, it's easier to see the joy and blessings from God.

Family Question 💬
Is it easy to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others? Why or why not?

Apply it 🎯
Take time around the dinner table or laying in bed before bedtime to talk about a “low” point of your day and a “high” point of your day with your family. Have each person take a turn. Sharing our disappointments, fears, celebrations, and even funny stories with others helps us to see God’s joy and blessings every day.