In every communication God has with the key people in the Christmas account, He tells them the same thing: "Do not be afraid". Fear is a factor in every person's life, whether external fears like finances and world conditions or internal ones like loneliness, failure and change. But the Lord helps us to move past "What If?" by experiencing His mercy and faithfulness. So even when our hopes are unrealized and we feel inadequate, like Zecharias and Elizabeth, we can be confident that He blesses those who fully trust and faithfully walk with Him, and that He remembers and answers our prayers.