How many really dear friends do you have that are either about a decade younger or older than you are? The gift of friendship between people in different stages of life is a relationship that is to be treasured and protected. The counsel of a friend like this enriches not only the life of the younger person, but brings strength and purpose to the one with more years of experience. This kind of friendship is a great encouragement to both people as not only wisdom and perspective but enthusiasm and excitement are shared with each other.
There could be several reasons that Mary went quickly to visit Elizabeth after the angel came and told her about the baby that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit. It was a friendship between a young woman and an older woman, but together they shared the biggest events that each of them would ever experience – the birth of miraculous babies. Imagine them talking about the intricacies of becoming pregnant, about the miracle of the baby who would be born to them, about Joseph and his dilemmas and Zechariah’s hopes and dreams for his son, and about what they were experiencing during these months of waiting. There is no question that the response which Elizabeth gave to Mary upon her arrival must have given Mary an enormous amount of confidence. To think that her friend accepted her news and recognized her faith without a doubt caused Mary to sing out with joy and certainty to God, her Savior.
How many times in the coming months do you think Mary repeated the words of the song of praise that she sang in the presence of Elizabeth? Together they no doubt encouraged each other as they “waited on the Lord” for the birth of their sons. To have a good friend with whom you can talk about your questions and your concerns as well as your excitement and joys is a wonderful gift from a loving God.
