Day 17: Anticipation

"But the angel said to him:  'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.'"  Luke 1:13

Main Character:  Zechariah
Scripture:  Luke 1:5-23
Symbol:  Pencil and Tablet

Silence is something I have learned to appreciate, especially over the last few weeks.  We have not received an official "diagnosis," but we are pretty confident that our newborn has colic.  He sometimes cries as much as 6-8 hours per day.  When he is not crying, he kicks his legs and moves his arms almost constantly.  Even as I sit here and write, my husband has been bouncing, cuddling, and swinging Ben in his arms for close to forty minutes.  It breaks our hearts to see him so unhappy, but it makes us treasure the moments when he is still, silent, and smiling even more.

What helps us to get through these trying hours of crying, the memory of the two babies we lost in a miscarriage and the trouble we had even conceiving the two precious boys that we have.  I was told at the beginning of February that we may not be able to have another baby only to find out at the end of February that I had been pregnant all along.  As I read the scripture lesson today, I can only imagine the confusion, joy, and surprise that Zechariah must have felt as the angel uttered the line in verse thirteen.  He was going to be a father.

Can you imagine being struck mute every time you had the slightest doubt in God?  That is what happened to Zechariah.  He had to keep all his emotions silent during Elizabeth's whole pregnancy and birth.  I'm sure he waited in great anticipation for the day that he would be able to utter the words, "This is John.  He is my son."  Be thankful for your children and the children in your lives today!

Ponder Points:

• Talk about the feeling of anticipation.  What is it like to wait for your presents on Christmas morning (for example)?
• Try as a family to not talk for 10 or 15 minutes while still interacting with one another.  How fast do you slip up?  Discuss what it would be like to not be able to talk for the whole 40 weeks of pregnancy.
• You can also use this opportunity to talk about obedience and miracles.  Zechariah was not very obedient at the start and was then struck mute.  As soon as he was obedient and announced John's name, his voice was restored.  Have you ever encountered problems as a result of being disobedient?