Day 19: Joy

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."  Luke 1:41

Main Character:  Elizabeth
Scripture:  Luke 1:39-56
Symbol:  Mother Holding Child

One of the most joyous occasions in my life was the day I found out that my son, Brady, had a ninety percent chance of being born a healthy baby.  You may remember from my writings a few days ago that I experienced a miscarriage for my first pregnancy.  Once I conceived again, I had a viability ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks along.  I saw a heart beat, and Dr. Lipscomb came into the room afterwards to let us know that everything looked wonderful with our little baby.

After my experience, I can only imagine what Mary must have felt like when meeting Elizabeth after her encounter with the angel Gabriel.  Mary was told that she was pregnant with the Son of God, but how could she be sure?  Yes, she said she believed, but wouldn't you still have a little voice of doubt in the back of your mind?  Elizabeth was delighted to have a miracle child growing in her own womb, and when she encountered Mary that first time her baby literally leaped in her womb.

Now, I want you to take a moment to think about the sanctity of life.  This little baby in Mary's womb was maybe three or four days old (about 70-100 cells) when she arrived at Elizabeth's home.  Already, the life of Jesus was forming, and His power was strong enough to have influence on the baby in Elizabeth's body.  Pretty amazing in my opinion!

Once Elizabeth confirmed to Mary that she was pregnant, she immediately began to praise God for the blessing she had received.  The power of the Holy Spirit surrounded their family and gave them encouragement instantaneously.

Ponder Points:

• When have you felt the most joyful?  Share these memories with one another.
• Do you find that you experience joy more from an object or an experience?  If you're like us, you take more joy in experiences.  Think about this when fretting over Christmas gifts!
• Do you immediately stop and thank God when you have a joyful experience?  How can you get better as a family for thanking God instead of just asking for things in prayer?
• Have you ever doubted yourself?  Was there someone in your life that reassured you that you were headed in the right direction?  Talk about that "Elizabeth" in your life and think of a way to thank that person for their help.