Life Takes a Turn for Zack and Beth

Their hopes had been differed... forever, so they thought. Zack and Beth had dreamed of a family for years. Long past even their child bearing age, the thoughts of barrenness left them hollow like an empty cave. Today all of that would change. Today a miracle would be promised.

Zack goes about his regular tasks as a religious leader in the community, but on this day he is picked from all the others in his family line to be high priest which would be both privilege and foreboding at the same time. After the preparations, he enters the sacred area of the temple where he is ambushed by an angel of the Lord. The angel announces that his prayers have been heard and the answer is coming- a son.

This son will be the prophet of the Lord that is also being prepared to enter into the world of men. Like most humans, Zack wants to know how anything like this can happen, so the angel makes it so he cannot speak just to remind him of the power of God and His promise. The son does come- John the Baptist as we call him and their disgrace of barrenness is taken away.

Most people laugh when I tell them that there was a time that the doctor spoke of infertility to us, especially now that we have seven children. In those early days of our marriage we were untouched by tragedy or failings in life, but our dreams and plans came into question. We began to wonder does God remember us here?

I like it when the Bible describes people going on about their business in real life situations and then God steps into the picture. Some would say there comes a time to just move on; you're too old to have children now, find an alternative. It could be any situation in life, not only children. Dreams that we hold dear sometimes seem to never be realized, until God shows up.

Even as an old man this "hope for a child" still found its way into Zack's prayers, and the angel proclaimed, "Your prayer has been heard." Whatever your hope for your family: peaceful home, children, grandchildren, financial stability, healing, solid relationships- God hears your prayers. The answer is on the way.