A Better Way (Nancy)

“Both were righteous in the eyes of God… But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.”

Luke 1:6,7

When the angel told Zechariah that they would have a son, it seems right that he would question the possibility of such a thing. Was his response really so terrible that he deserved to be stricken speechless for 9 months? Wasn’t there a better way? I wonder if he was made speechless not so much to punish his unbelief but more to prevent him from having a negative effect on the people around him. We are told that “the whole assembly of people were praying outside” the temple while Zechariah was inside. If he had come out in fear of what the angel had told him, he may have spread his own fears and unbelief throughout his community. Who knows what the impact might have been.

Have I done damage in my family or community by speaking words that have negatively influenced others? My tendency is often to keep quiet during times involving conflict. While our daughter was visiting with us this month, after being away almost 2 years, she spoke out about her dissatisfaction around our arranged transportation to the airport. In my shock at her self-centered attitude, I quickly reacted by telling her she could always walk to the airport. The room became very quiet. I could have taken a minute to get a sense of how the Holy Spirit would have me answer. But instead, my own fears and unbelief that God might have a better way, resulted in shutting down further discussion. Yes, our discussion might have gone very badly, which is what I imagined. Then again, we could have shared our sensitivities in a way that may have helped us better appreciate our different points of view. How might that day have turned out if I had been rendered speechless for a time? We’ll never know.

Were Zechariah’s people better prepared for John the Baptist’s arrival because his father had such an unusual time of preparation for his birth? Zechariah himself sure was. When he finally was able to speak, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied the words prayed each day all over the world in the Liturgy of the Hours. “Blessed be the God of Israel; He has come to His people and set them free.” (Luke 1:68)

Lord, help me listen first … before speaking. If I have caused others to grow farther from You by my speech, I trust that You have another way to reach them … a better way. I bring all my fears and concerns to You during this time of preparation, trusting that You are already working out all things for my good, and the good of my family and friends. Amen.

Peace,

Nancy