Depending on one’s situation, sharing the news of a pregnancy can create many emotions. For most, it’s a joyful experience. It’s something they’ve been praing and hoping would happen. For others, it may be unexpected, unwelcome, and anxiety-inducing. Of all these responses, I wonder how Mary felt after being told she would be the mother of Jesus.
This young woman, most likely a teenager, is visited by the angel Gabriel, who calls her “favored” by God and explains how the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will be with child. That’s a lot of information for anyone to absorb while also being responsible for explaining it to her parents and fiancé.
First, Mary chooses to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, with whom she shares a special relationship. I imagine Mary knew Elizabeth to be a woman of God who would listen to her with an open heart, believe her, and give her wise counsel. What relief Mary must have felt when Elizabeth, upon hearing her voice, felt the baby she was carrying leap in her womb and spoke this blessing over Mary,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:42-45
God used Elizabeth to remind Mary of His faithfulness and bolster her confidence in what was to come. Mary’s love and relief in that moment led her to praise God’s might, holiness, mercy, strength, and provision. (Luke 1:46-55)
Mary needed an older woman to see, listen to, and love her throughout this unpredictable time in her life. That’s what TMC® Mentors do for their teen moms. They encourage, listen, challenge, and cheer for them through different seasons in their lives. What a gift it is to have women of God walking alongside teen moms to help them understand who God truly is, to understand His grace and mercy given through Jesus Christ, and to offer them hope for today and every day after.
As you anticipate celebrating Jesus’s birth this Christmas, please join me in praying for all TMC’s Mentors and teen moms. Pray that their relationships will deepen, their work will build a firm foundation for the teen moms’ future, and God will continue to draw teen moms to Himself.
Written by Kristin McElmurry
TMCI® Greg Krumes Gospel Fire Award Recipient | Former TMCI Staff and TMC Mentor
