Wreathed in Blessing

I wonder if her cheeks were tear stained. Mine would be. In those days, those days after the angel had told her not to be afraid, Mary headed with haste to the hills. She went to see Elizabeth, her cousin, who was much older than she. Elizabeth was faithful, married to Zechariah, a priest. She was beyond child-bearing years and barren.

Maybe she went to Elizabeth because the angel told her that Elizabeth was three months away from delivering her own child. Could it be true? If it was true, did that make all that the angel said about her own baby true?

Maybe she went to Elizabeth because she needed an older, steady faithful person, someone who could listen and understand. Someone who was removed from the day to day, in whom she could confide.

Henri Nouwen reflected that we are drawn in difficult times, when we are confused or in pain, to “those who instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share in our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that’s the friend who cares.”

Mary goes to Elizabeth. And Elizabeth wreaths her in blessing. Whatever Mary expected, I cannot imagine that she expected what she received.

Mary, hastily running away and running to, her mind racing with questions, “How can this be?” “What will he be?” “Why is his name “Jesus,” “he saves?” “How will he have a kingdom with no end?” “Why did I say, “Let it be with me according to your word?” “Can I really do this?” “What is going to happen to me?” “What have I agreed to?” “How can this be?”

I wonder if she burst into the door, or she paused outside to gather herself and her courage. Scripture tells us that as she entered Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home, she called out for Elizabeth. And on hearing her greeting, the child in Elizabeth’s belly did a flip. John recognizes, even in the womb, the One his life’s purpose is. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, to give a gift to this young girl who answered the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” A gift of blessing.

“Blessed are you. Blessed is the child you will bear. Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? Blessed is she who believed that the Lord’s promises would be fulfilled.”

Contemplative author and pastor Jan Richardson writes beautifully of this passage, “In the home of Elizabeth, in the company of her cousin who is herself pregnant in most unusual circumstances, Mary finds what she most needs. Elizabeth gathers and enfolds her. Welcomes her. Blesses her.
In response to Elizabeth’s blessing, Mary sings. And how she sings! She sings of a God who brings down the powerful, who lifts up the lowly, who fills the hungry with good things. Strangely, wonderfully, Mary sings of a God who not only will do these things, but who has done these things. She sings as if God has already accomplished the redemption and restoration of the world.
O my friends, this is what a blessing has the power to do.” . (- See more at: https://adventdoor.com/2015/12/14/advent-4-a-blessing-called-sanctuary/#sthash.HYV2esfG.dpuf)

Elizabeth’s wreath of blessing creates a safe space for Mary to allow the Word within her to find voice.

Blessings are powerful. They change us. Blessings give us courage to not fear; they are intimate declarations of hopeful promise that are encouraging and empowering.

Blessings are gifts that can only be exchanged between people who truly know one another. A blessing might recognize a gift or a skill a person has: “I could see you becoming great at…” “You have incredible talent for…” A blessing might celebrate a character trait, “Your care and heart for that really impress me.”

Parental blessings are especially powerful and important gifts. “Studies have shown that children will live up to the expectations of their parents whether those expectations are positive or negative.” (westsidetoastmasters.com)

Have you ever watched a child fall down and then look to his or her mom or dad to gauge what their reaction should be. You know what’s going to yield a howl – “Oh, are you ok? What hurts?” And you know that most of the time, if mom or dad smiles, and giggles and says, “You silly! You’re ok. Hop up, brush off” that the child will laugh back and keep going.

Today we lit the candle of love. Who are the people you have the power to encourage and empower?

The Rev. Dr. Kathi Martin wrote about Elizabeth’s blessing of Mary. “Not all of us can or will bear children,” she says, “But all of us have been impregnated with a purpose, a dream, a destiny. The pursuit of that purpose will take us through states of life similar to what women go through giving birth,…Like women who are pregnant for the first time, we experience anticipation and joy along with conflicting feelings of inadequacy, frailty, and even anger. Our lives feel foreign to us. We don’t even know ourselves anymore. Sometimes life gets so tough, frightening, or confusing…We visit the place of paradox where one minute we are saying, ‘Thank you, Jesus!’ and the next minute, we’re pleading, ‘Give me strength.’ There is a blessing awaiting each of us, a destiny that’s been prepared just for us, but…’Nobody told me the road would be easy.’

Nobody told Mary it would be easy. Just like Isaiah reminded the Israelites that nobody told them it would be easy in the passage that ???read.

Paul D. Hanson says of this passage from Isaiah, “The assurances of God’s protection and blessing that run throughout this chapter are interwoven with the motif of urgent appeal to the Lord to act.” This prophecy is God’s Word to a community wreathed in turmoil. The Babylonian exile is over, and they have returned to Jerusalem. They are back in their homeland of Judah. A highway through the wilderness has been prepared, and they have made it back. But in a very real way, they still have a long way to go. Just because physically they are back, it doesn’t mean that they have arrived. They have a long way to go to be instruments of God’s redeeming purposes. They SHALL be called “The Holy People” says Isaiah. Why? Because it doesn’t depend on them. It depends on God. And they are not forsaken. They are wreathed in blessing.

Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” She SHALL be called blessed, says Mary. Why? Because it doesn’t depend on her. It depends on God. And she is not forsaken. She is wreathed in blessing.

Is God calling you to be an Elizabeth, to speak a word of encouragement and empowering promise? What will the people you have the power to bless be called? Will you wreath them in blessing?

Do you find yourself fleeing toward refuge? Who will bless you? What shall YOU be called? You are wreathed in blessing.