“And Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.” - Luke 1:56

It’s a unique mission, carrying a child. There’s not much you can do or control; a pregnancy has a built-in waiting time. Imagine Mary, overwhelmed with the fear and honor of carrying the Messiah, in awe that she has been chosen by God. The reality of her mission is upon her, but instead of a call to action, she is given a time to wait. Think about it; Mary couldn’t really make a move to speed up this process or get on with the project. She was given a call, but she was also given time to remain and prepare. After discovering her pregnancy, God provided Mary with a safe haven, her cousin Elizabeth’s house, where she could process the craziness and get comfort from a friend.

Luke’s words remind me of those in 2 Samuel 6, where we find the story of the ark of the Lord(a really important symbol of God’s presence in the Old Testament) was being moved to the tabernacle. Before it could move there, it had to remain in a house for three months. In this story, David was given a mission - to carry the ark into the city and place it in the tabernacle, and the task was overwhelming. At one point he is losing it, and cries out, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” The mission seemed too big, but God allowed space and time – three months to be exact – to prepare David to fulfill the task before him.

David remained three months while carrying the ark of God, and centuries later Mary remained for three months while carrying the Messiah. Two thousand years later this tiny verse hits us, busy with Christmas craziness and trying to live God mission in our lives. Living for Christ requires action, to be sure. But sometimes God’s first call is not to action, but to remain. Before we can move, we must let the work that God is doing develop in our hearts. We must remain just like the infant Jesus stayed and grew inside his mother, just like the ark waited in the house, just like Mary lingered with Elizabeth. We must remain so that when we return, the time will be right for the plan that God has been working out all along. The question breathes through the centuries: where is your house of waiting, your friend, your safe haven? Where will you remain this Christmas?