Married at an early age and widowed for 84 years, Anna must have been nearing 100 or more. As I get older I and am fully aware of the toll age takes on a body.  Not only are we wearing out physically, but our tempers are shorter – our patience can be non-existent – we forget things – our hearing and eyesight fail – body parts have to be replaced.  It’s definitely not easy growing old.

Anna had been without a husband for a long time, but she was still an active member in the temple.  She worked as a priestess and a prophetess.   This aging woman never stopped serving God even after her world fell apart.  The first time she saw Jesus, she knew immediately that He was the Messiah.   Certainly the Holy Spirit was already working in her heart to give her that knowledge.

I wonder if I would have recognized Him.  How often do we receive and treasure scripture about our loving Savior, and quickly forget Him?  Anna wouldn’t be stopped by the physical things that could’ve held her back.  Her energy came from a greater source.  Upon seeing this child, she went to tell the entire town about the birth of the Messiah.  I guess you could call her one of the first evangelists – along with the shepherds who had already spread the initial message of Jesus’ birth.

The beauty of Anna is in her complete dedication to serving God and she wanted to share her love for Him with everyone she came in contact with.

Today might be a great day for us to share the Good News with a friend or co-worker  It’s too good to keep it to ourselves.

Thanks, Anna, for setting the bar high enough for us old fogies to reach.  You are an inspiration to those of us who may think we’re too old to share the Gospel.