“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” –Luke 1:38
Mary has long been celebrated by Christians as a model of faithfulness. She was delivered astounding news by the angel of the Lord that would forever change her life and possibly put her in danger. The angel told her that she, an unmarried woman, would conceive and bear God’s Son, the Messiah, who would rule over an everlasting kingdom. As an unmarried woman, this must have been frightening news because the penalty for pregnancy outside of marriage was death. And yet, despite the shock of the news about her son’s identity, despite the fear that her life might be in danger, Mary consented to God’s will with reckless abandon, trusting wholeheartedly that God’s way is best. “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with according to your word.” In the midst of confusion and fear, Mary faithfully responded, God, let it be as you wish. In the midst of her questions and worries, Mary trusted God so much that she would follow wherever God would lead. Let it be. Mary is our model of faithfulness for she said “yes” to God’s call.
Mary’s words are so celebrated and revered because they are so hard to say in the midst of difficulty and uncertainty. Most of us want to be in control of our lives, especially in the midst of a crisis. Most of us want to plan our lives the way we want them to be, we want to know all the details and make all the decisions. It is often hard to say “yes” to God’s call because we like to be in control. In her wisdom Mary resisted this temptation and chose to put her life in God’s hands. Mary realized that God’s will is better than her will, and she was able to trust God’s plan and proclaim with full assurance, let it be with me according to your word.
One of my favorite Beatles’ songs, Let It Be, echoes Mary’s faithful words. This song speaks Mary’s “words of wisdom” to those who are experiencing the unexpected twists and turns of life:
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be…And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow, let it be...
In the midst of our times of trouble and cloudy nights, may we have Mary’s wisdom to trust God and proclaim, “let it be as you wish, God.” May we have the faithfulness to trust that God is at work in our lives, shining light in our darkness even when things look bleak and questions are unanswered.
Whether this Christmas brings you trouble or joy, God is calling you to something just as God called Mary on that first Christmas. God might be calling you to a particular mission, or to be reconciled with an old friend. God might be calling you to give up a certain habit or to take on a new one. God might be calling you to let go of something you’ve been holding on to. God might be calling you to take a leap of faith. My prayer is that this Christmas we might spend some time in prayer asking how God is calling us, and that we might have the wisdom and courage to say “yes” to God’s will, trusting that God’s way is better than our own.
Advent Blessings,
Laura
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