When Your Story Seems Small
She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day (Luke 2:37b–ESV).
***
Her story may seem insignificant.
After all, it’s only three short verses tucked in a chapter contained in the Gospel of Luke–one of two books written by a man who never physically met the One who changed his life.
Nor had he ever met the woman about whom he wrote.
Still, this physician-turned-author, guided by the Holy Spirit, happily included her, though his details are few.
And while we know Anna lived with heartache, she chose a life of thanksgiving, holding on with hope to one day welcome Messiah.
We often think of her more at Christmas when, in truth, hers is a testimony of thanksgiving. Because she, like us, was awaiting the promised One.
We’re not told if Anna had children, though she’d been married for seven years. When her husband died, she endured the sorrow of widowhood. And not merely sadness but certainly fear—because, in those days, a widow with no sons was often destitute.
Maybe that’s how she came to live in the safety of the temple. One can almost hear her singing the ancient psalm of the Sons of Korah—
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home… (Psalm 84:1-3a).
Yes, this certainly was her story. It was her song too!
And though she was no stranger to sadness, she lived her life in worship. We don’t know what words she chose, but again, perhaps she echoed the Psalmists’–
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise (Psalm 84:4)!
And that’s what Anna did for most of her eighty-four years.
Imagine then, that life-changing moment!
Do you suppose she heard Simeon blessing God, his joy carried on a breeze having laid eyes upon the long-awaited Savior?
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel (2:29-32).
Luke doesn’t mention that Simeon and Anna ever met before, but on that day?
A Divine Appointment!
The elderly man, having received a holy revelation–believing Messiah would come in his lifetime–arrived “in the Spirit (v. 27)” just as Joseph and Mary stepped into the temple courtyard carrying their forty-day-old Jesus.
And Anna too, “coming up at that very hour (v. 38a)” witnessed with her own eyes this holy family and a Spirit-filled Simeon.
Can you imagine?
While we know Jesus’s mother must have had some sort of understanding regarding her Son’s calling and purpose (after all, we hear it in Mary’s song!), she was human, as was her husband. But if there remained any inkling of doubt that their Infant was out of the ordinary, surely this encounter laid it to rest.
And Anna the Prophetess could not stay silent but proclaimed God’s goodness—
… Speaking of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (2:38b).
Because, like Simeon, Anna’s eyes had seen her salvation, having looked upon…
The face of her Savior.
This woman who’d spent her life worshipping—using praise as her ladder out of despair—met the One who’d been writing every detail of her story from the day of her birth, never wasting a suffering.
And she would never be the same!
Whatever days remained for Anna, she was transformed because…
Her Savior became her song!
***
And how about you?
Does your story seem small?
It’s not.
Like Anna’s–which was certainly more than Luke included in those three short verses (2:36-38)—our stories matter. They hold life-transforming power when Jesus steps in and…
Becomes our song!
So, despite any–inspite of all–heartache, no matter how insignificant your story seems, it’s the melody that may enable another to step from darkness to light.
During this season of thanksgiving, we await the coming of Jesus—to celebrate Him as a Baby but also to celebrate, perhaps in our lifetimes, His second coming.
And we, too, should worship like Anna–allowing praise to be our ladders out of any despair!
Now is the perfect time to share our stories with everyone we meet, telling of God’s goodness in sending His Son.
As we pray for Divine Appointments, may our testimonies be the very thing that opens eyes to the light of revelation!
Amen.
***(All scriptures taken from the ESV; photos used courtesy of Pixabay)***
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