Then Mary said, "Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." (v. 38)
READY TO SERVE
We are asked to do many things – contribute money, lead a group, complete a project, plant a tree, help a child. We look for the bottom line to find just what this effort on our part will entail. How much personal sacrifice will we be expected to offer?
I had a pastor once who cautioned us to be honest with people when asking them to volunteer. "If there are peanuts lying about on the floor, there is most likely an elephant," was his advice to us.
Mary did not spend much time looking for the elephant when the angel showed up to tell her about God’s plan to have her give birth to his son. Her only question was, "Why me?" She was well aware of the shame that would be heaped upon Joseph, her family and, especially, her. The Christmas movie, "The Nativity Story," did a good job of showing the feelings of the townspeople when it was discovered that Mary was pregnant without benefit of marriage.
Yet she accepted this awesome responsibility because of her strong and abiding faith in God. She knew only that God was asking her to serve him, and she willingly obeyed.
Heavenly Father, help us to stay alert and able to respond when opportunities arise to serve in your kingdom.
Suzanne Koch
