And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; – Luke 2:22

It had been 40 days since Mary was allowed to go anywhere and be around people. She must have been very happy to finally be getting out again. She and Joseph were, no doubt, excited about going to the temple to dedicate Jesus unto God!

Little did they know, they were going to be met by two elderly people deeply devoted to God. They would be delayed in presenting Jesus to God, but I think the meetings with “Grandpa Simeon” and “Grandma” Anna were vital parts of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Perhaps they were just as important as His dedication according to the law service!

In my next two postings, Lord willing, I will discuss the meetings with Simeon and Anna. For now, I would like to just take a few moments to reflect on the human joy of these two individuals when they saw Mary and Joseph coming in with a baby.

There is a joy that the younger generations don’t comprehend.  Those who have been actively involved in the church their entire lives often wonder what will happen to the church when they go home to glory. I believe this is one of the reasons they show so much joy when a young family comes to church for the first time.  They can see that the Lord is raising up another generation to hold the banner.

If you are part of a young family, please realize what life and vitality you bring to the church. I know it is difficult at times, I had five children myself. But do not let it overwhelm you to the point you stop going. Even through the current pandemic, find a way to be involved in church. It will make it so much easier when things go back to normal. Making church a high priority will be blessing in the long run, and now.

Also, I know there are several elderly in your congregation that are just like Grandpa Simeon and Grandma Anna.  They would love to hold your baby or child and give you some rest!

NOTE – I wrote this blog before the pandemic and the ordinances to stop meeting in public.  I hope that we all are looking forward to getting back together at church. I hope that the worship fo the Lord is an “essential” in each of our lives.