Story of the Month

Uncertain Times

By Kay Price

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Oh my, but the times are uncertain. This government is corrupt! The people are just plain lawless. The economic situation is desperate. My husband is disabled, and I am going to have a baby! But just for today, I am going to have joy. For I know something. I know that God will provide.

Now just look at me, I have just gone on without even introducing myself. Excuse me! My name is Elizabeth and I am not a young woman – you can see that. My husband is named Zechariah, and he is the priest at the temple. We have been married for a long, long time, but in all those years we could never have children. It was our greatest desire in life. I wanted a whole bunch of children, but it never came to be. And now, now with things the way they are, I am going to have a baby! I’m so happy. Let me share our story. You see, my husband, being a priest, he serves in the Temple. And they cast lots to decide who is going to be chosen to go into the Holy of Holies and present the incense once a year. It is a once in a lifetime experience for a priest. And this year, the lot fell on my husband. There was a whole group of us praying outside of the Temple. Let me tell you, I have spent a great deal of my life praying in that temple for one thing or another, and many times for a child.

My husband goes behind the curtain, and he was gone a long, long time. Longer then any priest had been gone. And we became concerned that perhaps he had fallen ill or maybe he was struck down. What were we to do? And we waited.

And then he came out from behind that curtain. He had changed somehow. He was so excited and kept making all kinds of hand motions. But he couldn’t speak a word! It was apparent he had a vision from God or some experience behind the curtain. He just couldn’t tell us.

All my friends told me, “Don’t worry. His speech will return. So don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Well, it has been months and he still cannot speak. Oh, he tries to tell me something but nothing comes forth. We have learned to communicate in a lot of different ways around the house – mostly with sign language and facial gestures. But let me tell you. Since he hasn’t been able to talk, all he does is smiles – smiles all the time! It’s almost as if he is keeping some special secret.

Well, with all of this going on, I just started feeling miserable. Ah, my stomach was upset. I started to gain weight. I was so tired. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. And then, I came to the conclusion that I was going to have a baby. (ha, ha) Lucky for me he can still hear fine, because that would have been a hard story to explain to him with hand language. I am well, well past childbearing years and this is just the biggest surprise. And my husband – he just beamed from ear to ear, but he doesn’t seem a bit surprised at all.

I have my concerns, that’s for sure. Since he cannot speak he’s not working. And money has been pretty tight. And then there’s the Romans! They are ruling our land with an iron fist. So there’s no chance that we can get any help from the government. And … I am pretty apprehensive about this upcoming birth. Older women don’t fare well in childbirth, and me having never experienced it, well, I’ll tell you, I’m right down fearful.

There is another story to this. It’s my cousin Mary. She’s a dear. Oh, she’s a lot younger than I am. And she’s a beautiful child, and she so loves the Lord. Now she had heard of our situation, and she came for a visit. Oh really she needed to get a way for a while too. You see, her situation isn’t so good either. She too is with child, and she doesn’t have a husband.

It was such a delight to see her. But as soon as I saw her, this child inside of me leaped for joy. As if it had recognized the child within her. And in that instant, I was filled with the Holy Spirit. And right then and there, I just shouted out, “Blessed are you among all women, and blessed is this child you are bearing! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her, and it will be done!”

Now Mary, she told me how an angel had come to her and told her that she is going to bear the Messiah. We have spent hours talking of all the strange things that are happening to us. And we wonder together, “What will our future be?” Oh, but if you would hear us. You would hear us laughing together all the time. For we are filled with joy. We can’t seem to help ourselves. She has been the best help to me.

Oh, the times are uncertain for sure. What the future holds for Mary and what the future holds for me, and for our unborn children, I don’t know. But today I am filled with joy. For I know something. I know that God will provide for us.

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