Born of the Virgin Mary

fear not God can be trusted

Since 1995, 
I have used the same prayer book.
(In all those years I have owned three copies,
but it seems that when I go to use it,
I end up holding the dirty, coffee stained, taped together,
ratty one from seminary.)
And in the back of that book is a hymn for the end of night prayer:
"You have beheld the King in his beauty,
Mary, daughter of Israel.
You have made answer for the creation,
to the redeeming will of God."

Wow, 
that sure sounds like a big job for a young woman.
Some of us would probably have called her a girl.
And for two millennia the Body of Christ has honored her.
The Kingdom is a kingdom of honor.

The Saviour 
made his entrance to the world
through a human body,
and that human being was willing to let it happen.
Some of us struggle with obedience to the little directions from God.
Can you imagine not struggling with this assignment?
I am sure Mary did.

I remember the first time God asked me to give away $100.
It was a very big struggle, 
and God kindly let me ask a lot of questions and make excuses.
In the end I gave away the money.
That “yes" paved the way to a lot of other risks and steps—and blessings.

Mary didn't ask any questions, 
except, "How, really, does that kind of thing work?"
And she had every right, in the moment, to ask.
And then she was pregnant.
She was shamed in her community.
She was a refugee in Egypt.
She followed her Son as he took his cross,
and she probably felt the blood he shed.
She received his broken body.
She was there when he rose from the dead,
and She felt the fire on her head as Holy Spirit came.

Mary probably didn't know it, 
but she said "yes" to a lot.
And because of her, 
we believe.

God is always calling us.
Sometimes we think we are saying yes to one thing,
but God's plan is much bigger, 
and more important than we can imagine.

Don't be afraid to say yes.

He Never Fails,
+christ