The Story of Advent
December 6th, 2022
I grew up with lots of cousins: 28 first cousins on my Mother’s side, and 2 on my Dad’s side. When we were children, visits from our cousins were the cause of much anticipation. Some cousins lived near enough to visit frequently; others lived long distances and only visited occasionally. The visits were always the cause for celebration and preparation. We cleaned the house. My mother prepared favorite family recipes. Space was arranged for overnight guests. We could hardly wait for the day when the cousins arrived! We were excited to share about our lives and catch up on events since the last visit; hear the telling (and re-telling) of family stories; and share the joys of playing with the cousins near our age. Our cousins always looked forward to coming to Shawnee: roaming the farm, helping with chores, and getting into all kinds of mischief were part of the experience! The experience of spending time and sharing with family might have caused Mary to seek out her cousin, Elizabeth. The angel Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth’s pregnancy and that was a good reason for the visit. “Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age. For nothing is impossible with God.”. Luke 1:36 So, Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea for a visit with Elizabeth. As Mary traveled, she must have thought about all the things that she would tell her cousin. Elizabeth, too, must have awaited Mary’s arrival with many things on her mind. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:41 It states in scripture that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and returned home. Imagine the conversations these two women might have shared – the wonders of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah and later to Mary; the joys and worries of pregnancy; and their hopes and dreams for their babies’ futures.
- Marguerite McDowell