36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 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 2:36-38)

Yesterday, we were introduced to Anna, a widowed prophetess, and we observed how she spent her life in dedicated service to God. Next, let's consider how Anna responded to pain. Seven years into marriage, her husband died, and she responded by heading to the temple. And she never stopped. You might wonder if her husband was secretly a nightmare and his death, though painful, was actually a welcomed reprieve for Anna. I suppose it's possible, but a culture like theirs didn't produce as many violent or twisted men as ours does. Her society's weakness was that it made life very hard for unmarried women, making Anna's husband's death a very severe trial. And instead of blaming, rebuking, or doubting God, Anna praised God—every day. Just as Mary had donated her body for the birth of God's Son, Anna gave her body for the pronouncement of God's praises. Recently, I saw a short video that reminded me of what life is like. It captured a couple of teenage girls on a roller coaster, the camera having been mounted in front of them. As the ride twisted and turned, both girls screamed for joy until a seagull slammed into one girl's face, the G-forces pinning it under her chin for a little while. Her look was priceless—pure shock. She then wrestled an arm free, dislodged the bird, and went on enjoying the ride. That's life. Cruising along, even enjoying ourselves…then something slams into us we could never have prepared for—and how will we respond?

Her Conception of God

Anna responded well, and I think much of her response was rooted in what she believed about God. She was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (38). She knew the period of human history she was in—waiting time. One day, the deliverer would come, but her day was embroiled in the fall's deleterious effects. Sin had broken everything, and she did not expect to be preserved from its impact. Nor did she think God owed her. His promises were for redemption and peace—and she believed those days were coming. And Anna didn't try to just grind through her grief either. It is one thing to not blame God, but quite another to actively pursue God. That was Anna—she pressed into God. Her husband was gone, so she decided to allow God to satisfy the gap he had left behind. I recently spoke with our Christmas Eve Kids Choir Director about an experience she had leading our kids last year. After they sang, the kids were ushered to a small kids' section where gift bags awaited them. Inside those bags were candy canes because what better aid to help little children endure a grown-up sermon from Pastor Nate than sugar? Well, many kids discovered they didn't really like candy canes—too spicy!—so they handed them to Whitney. There she was, in the middle of service, with no napkins, no trash bags, or not even an empty coffee cup, so she just held onto their wet little candy canes, enduring until the service was over. Many of us approach our trials this way. I hate it. I don't like it. I will just grit it out, quietly and alone. We might not express anger at God, but we don't turn to God and his church either. We distance ourselves. We take "a break" from God and his people, believing we will reappear before both once our lives are cleaned up a bit. But Anna let her widow years become worship years, and we should let our pains turn into praise. God can satisfy us—if only we would turn to him. Like Anna, we need to allow all our disappointments and difficulties to become entry points for God's work in our lives. Like David, who wrote prayers to God while hiding from relatives who'd gone mad, we should pray when hurt by those closest to us. Like the midwives in Egypt, who feared God when the Pharaoh commanded them to do the immoral, we should follow him even when it might hurt. Like the elderly Apostle John, who kept worshiping God on Sundays even when he was banished to a prison island because of his service to Christ, we should fight to keep the Lord's day even when in pain. Like Paul and Silas, who worshiped God when locked up in the dungeons of Philippi, we should push through to praise God even when everything else is stripped away. And like Anna, we should respond to pain with faithfulness to God because Jesus endured the pain for us.