There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

I have come across a few people these days that are in “coasting mode”. Their lives have been full of one disappointment after another, and they don’t dare to dream anymore because they do not want to get too disappointed. Sadly, their “hum drum” life is predictable. When we become resentful, bitter, and/or angry about the challenges of life, we retreat and retract our hope and vigor for life. And we only seem to notice the disappointments, not the blessings.

In contrast, we have Anna. It could have been said, “What is significant about a widow who lived in the temple?” And from the world’s perspective, not much. But Anna, after her great loss of her husband (which also, in this society would have likely meant the loss of her status and income), decided to draw closer to God and bless others out of her heartache. She was a prophetess, bringing words from God to others, speaking his truth, praising him and rejoicing in his provisions. She was a relatively insignificant widow from a worldly perspective, who, because of her dedication to God, was used, alongside Simeon, to welcome the Son of God, Jesus, into God’s house, the temple. WOW!

Lord, sometimes my best efforts are not rewarded or don’t result in what I think they should. Life can be disappointing. But help me to continue to remember the life and story of Anna. She turned a life of heartache into a life of service to you and you rewarded her for it!