Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. [37] Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. [38] She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Luke 2:36-38 NLT

We don't have anyone live at my church (maybe we should?). 

But I wonder how Anna would describe her life?

Would she say her life is defined by loss, sorrow?

Or by service and dedication, a life that contains suffering and loss?

What we do know is that she recognised something important was going on with Jesus - the Rescuer she had been waiting for was here.

By our standards we might judge Anna's life as a bit of a waste - yet here she is being honoured for putting her life With God first.

Perhapa as 2025 comes to an end, there's an invitation in Anna's story to reset, to reprioritise our inner life With the Rescuer?

What are you being invited to put down?

To make space for?

To adjust?

The redemptive strands of Grace wind thru our lives too...

#Christmas 

#redemptivestrands #hopeishere 

#reset