Counting the Days: December 18, 2023
Michael Molter ’94, M.S.A., M.A.
Webmaster & Canvas Administrator
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Reflection
The angel of the Lord speaks to Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin), to tell him that Elizabeth will bear a son whom he is to name John – an apparent impossibility because both were older, and Elizabeth was barren.
When we become parents, we don’t go into this role with a lot of foreknowledge about what our children’s future will be. Nobody wants to do a poor job parenting, so we feel a lot of pressure to “get this right.” How much greater must that pressure have been to have it foretold that this child has a great destiny? Would we do things differently?
Not everyone receives the blessing of a child with “joy and gladness.” But I did. Like Zechariah, I know what it’s like to grow older without having a natural child. But the blessing of a child did come to me when I adopted my stepdaughter. Like couples who choose to become parents, I chose to become her father, and I experienced great joy and gladness. But there is more. It is said that you can’t choose your parents, but in fact you can! How much greater is that joy and gladness because she also chose me!
My daughter is now the third generation in my family to receive a degree from Methodist University. I’ve offered what I could to prepare her for life and she knows I’m behind her all the way. I don’t have a prophecy to provide certainty about her future. But like Zechariah, I do have a vision, and I believe that she will do great things.