After the angel tells Mary that her relative Elizabeth is pregnant with John the Baptist, she goes immediately to the hill country of Judah to visit her.

As soon as Mary’s greeting reaches her ears, Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb, and she knows at once that Mary is carrying the Christ child. Then Elizabeth says, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

This is really significant because it is a direct contrast to how Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharias, responded when he was visited by Gabriel six months prior and told that his wife would bear him a son. After getting such an amazing message from the angel, Zacharias asked, “How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

As a consequence for his lack of faith, the angel tells him he will be unable to speak until the baby is born.

It’s easy for me to say I have faith, but I tend to keep on questioning, like Zacharias. After years of barrenness, it was hard for him to believe his wife really would have a child.

After years of rejection, I can so easily slip into the frame of mind that assumes God has forgotten about me. That He doesn’t really have a good plan for my writing and my future. That He hasn’t heard my prayers.

Instead, I know He wants me to have faith like Mary’s. Faith that doesn’t doubt His goodness, or question His ability to bring about a future that is better than anything I could ask or think. Faith that hears tell of good news and starts walking that direction. Faith that not only prays for rain, but prepares the fields to receive it.