"And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."
Luke 2:38
If you've ever sat in a hospital waiting room, you know how long an hour can be. You watch the door. You check the clock again. You sit up straight every time someone in scrubs walks in.
Many widows know that room far too well. And some of us still feel like we're sitting in it, long after he's gone. Waiting for something we can't even name.
Anna knew about waiting.
In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph carried the baby Jesus into the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. An old man named Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God.
And then Luke tells us about Anna.
She had been married only seven years. After that, decades as a widow. She came from the tribe of Asher, one of the northern tribes scattered by Assyria centuries before. Her people were all but forgotten.
She kept showing up anyway. Night and day, Luke says. Praying. Worshiping. Waiting.
Then come four small words that change everything.
At that very hour.
Anna didn't go looking for the Messiah. He was carried in to her.
God knew her name.
He knew her tribe.
He knew every long year she had waited.
And He brought His Son to her at that very hour.
That's grace. Not a prize for good waiting. A gift from a God who remembers widows the world has overlooked.
Maybe you feel like you're still in the waiting room. Maybe you wonder if God has lost track of you. He hasn't. The same Jesus who was carried into Anna's ordinary day is near to you in yours. And He isn't finished with you.
If you're still searching and you're not sure what you believe about Him, the door is open. You can learn what a personal relationship with Jesus really means, at your own pace.
Try today
Anna's first response was thanks. Today, say one honest thank You, even a small one. For a warm cup. For a friend who called. Just say, "Lord, You're here. Thank You." Then, like Anna, tell one person one good thing God has done.
If you'd like to see how Anna's long road can speak to your own story, I wrote more about it in Her best chapters came later: life after losing your husband isn't over.
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.
Katherine Hankey, 1866
The waiting room can feel endless. But you aren't waiting alone, and you aren't forgotten. The God who came to Anna at that very hour knows exactly where to find you.
Blessings, Pastor Howard
Know a widow who needs this today?
Sometimes the kindest thing is a quiet "I thought of you."
What is one small thing you can thank God for today?
It doesn't have to be big. Tell me in the comments below. I read every comment, and your words might help another widow feel less alone.