Anna No Ever Comot from Di Temple

She old well well. She dey waka slowly. She don pray for dis temple pass di number wey anybody fit count. And today, as she reach one young family wey carry baby, her tired face light up like sunrise.

We dey for di temple courts for Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph don bring dia son Jesus, wey be forty days old, to present am to di Lord. One man wey dem dey call Simeon just carry di baby for im hand, praise God, and talk words of joy and warning. And for dat very moment, Luke tell us, another person reach. Luke like to pair one man and one woman for im stories. After Zechariah and Mary, see Simeon and Anna. Two faithful witnesses, side by side.

Luke give us Anna story for few careful lines. She na prophetess, woman wey God dey talk through. She na di daughter of Phanuel, from di tribe of Asher. She marry when she still young, and she live with her husband for seven years. Then e die, and she remain widow. Luke talk say she na widow of about eighty-four years. Dat one fit mean say she don be eighty-four years old now, or say she don be widow for eighty-four years, and dat one go mean say she don pass one hundred years. Any way wey e be, she don live long life, and most of am she live alone.

But Anna no sit down idle, and her heart no bitter. Luke talk say she no comot from di temple, but she dey serve God with fasting and prayers night and day. Year after year, through heat and cold, through di reign of different kings, Anna dey there. Dey pray. Dey fast. Dey worship. Plenty people for waka pass her without to look her twice. Just one old widow for corner. But God see her. And Anna dey wait, like Simeon, make God keep im promises.

As she come near for dat exact moment, Anna see di pikin. And she give thanks to God. Luke no write her words, but e tell us wetin she do next. She talk about am to all di people wey dey look for di redemption of Jerusalem. Anna know who else dey wait. For all her years for di temple, she for don meet all of dem: di faithful ones, di ones wey get hope, di ones wey dey pray make God set im people free. And now she dey go meet each of dem with di news. E don come. Di one wey we dey pray for don come.

Anna tribe, Asher, na detail wey dey surprise person. Asher na one of di northern tribes of Israel, and Assyria don conquer and scatter most of di northern kingdom more than seven hundred years before. But di second book of Chronicles mention people from Asher wey humble demself and come Jerusalem to worship. Anna family don keep dia tribe identity through all dose hundreds of years.

You go find Anna for Luke chapter two, verse thirty-six reach thirty-eight. One old woman wey plenty people no notice, wey never stop to pray, and wey become one of di first people to tell di good news. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who be di quiet and faithful person for your life wey you fit thank, or learn from, dis Christmas?