The God Who Does Mighty Things Luke 1:46–56

Mary sings because of a Child. Not a royal child wrapped in privilege, but a holy Child wrapped in promise. This Child is the reason her voice rises even when her life feels uncertain. He turns fear into courage and waiting into worship. Before he ever takes his first breath, he teaches her how to praise again.

As we sit with her song, we settle into our own longings. This season often stirs a quiet ache. We long for the perfect gathering, the perfect gifts, the perfect peace inside our homes and inside our hearts. When things fall short of that dream, our spirit slips toward frustration or disappointment, and the season feels heavier than it should.

But Mary’s song interrupts all of that with a fresh truth. Her praise rises not because everything is tidy or predictable, but because a Child is coming who will steady the world. God’s mercy arrives in surprising places. God’s answers do not always match what we prayed for, but match what we need.

This truth becomes clearer when we see it through real stories. A woman once shared that her most memorable Christmas was the one where nothing went right. Her flight was canceled. Her luggage vanished. The meal burned. She sat on the kitchen floor, ready to cry until her little niece crawled over, leaned her head on her shoulder, and whispered, “Auntie, it’s still going to be good because we’re here together.” That simple act from a child shifted her whole heart. They laughed, made sandwiches, and sang carols off-key around a bent tree.

Later, she said, “This wasn’t the Christmas I planned, but it was the Christmas that healed me.”
One small voice, one little presence, helped her sing again. God still uses children to unlock joy.

That brings us home at The Mark. I want to speak to the ones moving through December with tired spirits. You carry worries about your health, your children, your aging parents, your finances, your future, and the changes shaping our church. You show up with faith even when your heart feels thin.

Hear this. The God who gave Mary a song is giving you one too. A Child has come into the world, and that Child still teaches us how to sing when life feels uncertain. If you are grieving, lonely, stretched thin, or unsure of what comes next, hold this close to your heart: you are not forgotten.

God is doing mighty things even when the progress seems slow. Strength is rising quietly among us. Mercy is moving through our pews. Hope is humming under the surface. And joy, like a child tugging at your sleeve, is trying to get your attention again. Hold on, my friend. The Child who made Mary sing is the same Child who is trying to teach us our song.

Mary’s posture becomes our guide. She shows us how to let joy grow in unlikely places. She shows us how to trust God’s hand when the road ahead is unclear. And she reminds us that heaven sent a Child not just to save us, but to steady us. So we breathe. We soften our shoulders. We listen. The Child is still near. And if we listen closely, we might hear the beginning of our own song rising.

Prayer: Lord, you sent a Child who makes our weary hearts sing again. Teach us to recognize your mercy in the middle of ordinary days. Help us trust the quiet strength that grows from your presence. Let joy rise in us the way it rose in Mary. Amen.

Written by Rev. Kay Dubuisson