Lessons from Mary

Did you ever notice how excited the angel was when telling Mary that life as she knew it was over?  (Luke 1:28)

GREETINGS, YOU WHO ARE HIGHLY FAVORED!  THE LORD IS WITH YOU!

And He’s about to flip your world upside down!

This maybe a different side of the story that you’ve never considered…

-         but it seems as if the angel is either insensitive to Mary’s feelings

-         or knows something that far outweighs the loss Mary will experience

Either way, Mary’s world is shaken and emotions had to run wild…she probably went to Ehow.com to find out "how to hold back the tears."

 "We've all been in a situation where we suddenly feel compelled to cry. Your breathing intensifies, your heart sinks and water is welling your eyes. But no matter the reason why you want to cry, sometimes it's just not an opportune time. Here are some tips on how to hold back tears."

1.      Pinch yourself on your inner thigh.  By pinching yourself, you are moving the focus of your body's pain to another location.  Just don't pinch so hard that you leave a bruise!

2.      Hold your breath. If you concentrate on your breathing, you can literally stop those tears from flowing.

3.      Bite your lower lip. Like pinching, this re-focuses your body's attention.

4.      Let out a ferocious yell.  One way to release those negative emotions is to give a good scream. Excuse yourself from the situation and let it out in private. You'll feel much better.

5.      Start laughing. By forcing yourself to release that sorrow in another form, you'll hold back the tears. However, note that this might not always be the most appropriate action.

Mary was obviously dissatisfied with Ehow.com and instead placed all her emotions into worshiping God in song…

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord…”  (Luke 1:46)

In life’s most overwhelming moments, the greatest good we can do to minimize our trouble is to glorify our Lord.