When Life Gets Crazy

The more birthdays I get under my belt, the more I realize that I can’t do this life on my own. And the more I realize that I don’t even want to try.

I need God.

There’s zero doubt in my mind about that. But I also need the friends He so carefully places in my life. The friends who gather around, lift up in prayer, and encourage me when life throws all its curveballs my way. And the friends whom I can gather around, lift up, and encourage when life throws its curveballs their way.

And can we all just agree that the Christmas season has its own set of curveballs, along with a few sliders, sinkers, and fastballs? Just to keep things interesting, I suppose. (Also, my husband would be so proud I remembered all these kinds of pitches.)

I believe God set it up this way. Not life’s curveballs or sliders or sinkers. That slithery fellow in the Garden took care of those. Rather, what I mean is that God created us to not only need Him, but also to need each other and to be there for each other (1 Thessalonians [TF1] 5:11).

I see it in the nativity story. Or perhaps I should say, I see it in the story that played out just a few months before the nativity story, when the angel first told Mary the wonderful news. . . .

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 2:36–37 niv)

And then . . .

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 2:39–42 niv)

Everyone Needs an Elizabeth

Everyone needs an Elizabeth in their lives, don’t you think? I mean, Elizabeth was right smack in the middle of her own hallelujah story when Mary showed up on her doorstop. But she didn’t make a fuss about unexpected company. She didn’t offer a perfunctory, “Oh, so good to see you,” and then turn back to her own day. And she didn’t say, “I’ve got a miracle of my own happening here too, you know.”

There’s not a single hint that Elizabeth was jealous of Mary, or that she was frustrated by her being there. In fact, just the opposite. Elizabeth is overjoyed. She encourages Mary in a time that surely must have been so unsettling and so uncertain for both of them.

Imagine the scene: Two women—two friends—on opposite sides of the middle-age line. Theirs is a reunion filled with hugs and laughter, a leaping little one and joy. So much joy.

She Did What She Could Do

Mary had likely come to Elizabeth for reassurance, encouragement, and even answers. Because even in the midst of those miracles, she must have had so many questions about all that was going to happen and what her future would truly be. Did Elizabeth have answers? No, not really. Did she know what to do? Probably not.

But Elizabeth did what she could do. Simply put, Elizabeth offers her friendship and welcomes Mary in.

When Life Gets Crazy

Life in this world can get crazy, can’t it? With good things and not-so-good things and all the many different things in between. Especially around the holidays it seems.

We won’t always have the answers. We won’t always know what to do. Not for ourselves and not for the family and friends and even strangers who come to us in the midst of their own encounters with life’s craziness. It can be tempting to ignore it all or simply turn away.

But what if we didn’t? What if we chose to be like Elizabeth instead? Because we can still give what we have.

We can listen and hug and laugh.

We can lift up and encourage and pray.

We can offer our friendship, and we can welcome them in.