let it be just as you say...

have you read the christmas story yet this season?

in luke’s first chapter...he introduces us to a young woman named mary...we get from the gospels that she was an ordinary girl...much like you and me...scripture tells us she was betrothed to a man named joseph...luke does not tell us much about her every day life...but we can believe one thing...mary knew and loved God...how do we know this? by the truths taught in her story...

in one moment in time...this ordinary girl who lived an ordinary life came face to face with an extraordinary God...the angel gabriel greeted mary with these words: “you will become pregnant and give birth to a Son and call His name Jesus...He will be great and be called 'Son of the Highest'...”

mary asked gabriel how this would happen since she had never slept with a man...he answered her by saying that the Holy Spirit would come upon her...hover over her...and place the child within her...he then told her, “...the child you bring forth will be called Holy, Son of God.”

considering the immediate impact this message would have on mary’s ordinary life – she’d have to explain to her family and her fiancé that she was pregnant...her response is powerful and such a witness for you and me...she told gabriel...“yes, i see it now: i’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve...let it be with me just as you say...” have you ever wondered how she could have so quickly and easily put aside all that this surprising proclamation would mean and surrender her will to God’s?

how did mary come to that place? i believe that in her journey up to that point there were many small steps of obedience where she had experienced and witnessed God’s faithfulness...perhaps places where she said, “yes, Lord,” even when it was difficult or did not make sense...choosing to say “yes” on ordinary days prepared her heart to say “yes” on this extraordinary day...

you and i have those ordinary moments in our lives too...moments that in and of themselves do not seem significant but when weaved together create a heart of obedience...one day God will ask us to trust Him for something extraordinary...where will our heart be? will we be ready to say “yes” to God...even when what He is asking seems impossible?

my prayer is that i use this day to prepare my heart for those moments when my extraordinary God will invite me to join Him on an extraordinary journey...by saying “yes” to Him today...that i would know and trust Him the way mary did...to have a heart of obedience to say "yes" in the small...every day decisions...to be faithful in the ordinary...and in that...be prepared for the extraordinary...