When you dream of being a parent, you never envision yourself having the following sentences leave your mouth: “Sweetheart don’t bite the table”, “Honey stop brushing your nose with your toothbrush”, “No honey, you can’t play hide-and-seek in the fridge, you’re a touch bigger than a carrot”, “Sweetheart, put mommy down! ” (I literally had to say each one of these.)
I’m not sure to what degree Mary got the chance to experience some of this cute nonsense kids pull off. Jesus being God incarnate had the highest IQ never recorded by humanity. Jesus said and did everything right. Mary’s precious lamb was without defects. He was perfect as the Prophets trumpeted for years before His arrival.
More than likely Mary felt unequipped, unworthy to be raising the perfect Son of God. Yet, God chose a humble girl for a grand task. And she trusted him with it.
Scared at first, as the angel talked to her. “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ” Luke 1:29
Baffled at how God could bring a child into the world through a virgin. “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34
Overwhelmed with joy. Being the mother of the Messiah must have been every Jewish girls’ dream.
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.” Luke 1:46-48
Willing to serve. Here’s Mary’s response to the angel’s shocking news ” ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ ” Luke 1:38
Reflective in nature. “When they (the shepherds) had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 3:17-19
Being involved in fulfilling the God story involved a tense life from start to end, with lots of joyful moments and frightening ones too. Yet, she didn’t allow fear to cripple her. She made herself available to be greatly used by God no matter how difficult, risky, scary, overwhelming it was.
We each play our role in the God big story. Mary did her part. Are we doing ours?
Christmas is one time of the year when people tend to be more open-minded, more warm-hearted. Not everyone, but we need to make ourselves available to those that are ready for a seed to be planted, a sprout to be watered, or fruit to be harvested.
As December 1st was Romania’s National Day, I was sharing with the girls about the freedom we can enjoy these days that we severely lacked years ago. We can read the Bible, talk about Jesus, and meet with other believers without risking jail. I told them how it was during communism in Ceausescu’s dictatorship. With that in mind, this was Bella’s prayer that morning:
“Dear Jesus, thank you for the freedom we have today. And since Mr. Ceausescu, stinky little thing, is not here anymore, please help us share with others about You. Amen!”
We often take our freedom for granted.
Let’s live each December day with intentionality. And let that be just the beginning of a more fruitful season in our life.
Playing our part can be scary, confusing, and even overwhelming. It surely was for Mary. But, let’s trust God to provide us with the sufficient strength we need at the right time. In the end, it will be rewarding.
Let’s do our part. Mary did hers.
Meditate: Luke 1:26-38
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.