Luke 2:36-37 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Today’s reading sent me down a very short rabbit hole looking up the prophet Anna. The long and the short of what I found was that hers was “a life lived in expectation.” I like that phrasing, “a life lived in expectation,” because it describes Anna and Jesus and us.
Luke 2:38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
To me, the phrase “a life lived in expectation” can be taken in two ways. According to Google, expectation (n) means “a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.” So if my life is one lived in expectation, that could mean that I am waiting for that thing that I believe will happen. But it can also mean that there is an expectation for my life, for what I will accomplish, and that I am waiting to fulfill that potential.
Luke 2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
Precious Savior, Thank You for the idea of “a life lived in expectation.” Help me to embody both possibilities. Help me to live my life waiting, looking, hoping for, believing that You are with me always. And help me to fulfill the potential and the promise, that expectation, that You have for my life. Help me to shine Your light and point others to You. Amen.
Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Have a blessed day.