God performs the miraculous
I titled this reflection “God Performs the Miraculous” because God worked miracles in the days of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and the same is true today.
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is one of obedience, faith and consequences. Some might say those three words do not belong together, but when God is involved, the concept of “normal” is a moot point!
Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were obedient to God and served him well. However, their prayers seemingly went unanswered, and when the time came for God to bless them, Zechariah’s faith was challenged by human nature, which caused the consequence of not being able to speak until his son was born and named.
I imagine Zechariah standing before the angel of the Lord, saying, “Too much time has passed; my wife and I are of old age. My wife conceiving is not possible.” Why did Zechariah have such a hard time believing the angel?
Before we judge him too harshly, we should reflect on our own lives. We can likely recall times when God spoke into our lives, and instead of accepting the spiritual meaning, we defaulted to processing God’s favor with our limited human understanding. God is so much bigger than our thoughts.
I, too, have felt that God’s timing and call were late and unrealistic. For instance, pursuing a theology degree at this stage seemed more of a burden than a call. “I love the Word of God, but why would God choose me at this point?” I asked. I wanted a husband and children and to live a “regular life.”
However, God had other plans. God instructed me to attend Yale Divinity School. Even though I was unsuccessful two years ago, God pushed me to try again. This season, I choose to be obedient, faithful and trusting. Yale’s rejection in 2023 was not “no,” but “not yet.”
Elizabeth and Zechariah wanted a child, and their answer was not “no,” but rather, “not yet.” I am learning that when God chooses you for an assignment, or finally answers your prayer in what seems like an unorthodox way, you should trust God’s timing and understand that the blessing and/or answered prayer is not only to benefit you, but to benefit the world. Amen!
Sheena Lefaye Crews is the Senior Creative Director at Catholic Charities USA and a prospective MDiv student at Yale Divinity School. Prayers are welcome!