Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."
Luke 1:38
Every Christmas season, we hear the story of our Lord's birth. Year after year, as the story is repeated, it obtains a level of comforting familiarity, inspiring feelings of joy, hope, and renewal. Often overlooked, however, is the message that emerges from Mary's encounter with Gabriel, when he told her she, a virgin, would give birth to a child who would become the Lord.
In this day and age, it's hard to imagine a young woman living through such a sequence of events, being given such an awesome responsibility, and responding with such humility, grace and courage. She must have been fearful, yet did not submit to fear. Surely she had doubts, and would have wished that someone else would have been chosen. Unquestionably, she would have wondered how her husband, Joseph, would react. Yet she did not waver. "Here am I," says Mary, "let it be with me according to your word."
Every day, we are presented with opportunities to show courage – to step up, to solve a problem, to lead. These opportunities surface at home, at church, at work, and even random encounters with strangers. When confronted with these opportunities, how do we respond? Do we step up? Do we wait to see who else will volunteer? Or, do we say "here am I, the servant of the Lord…?"
George Pickart
