She was young, yet her age wasn’t an obstacle. Her heart, somehow, was already responsive
and ready.
She didn’t require answers from a God who had spoken. She didn’t demand understanding when her
heart heard His voice. She didn’t give
room to her fears to come in and whisper a bazillion “What ifs?” She was a lovely canvas on which God had been
given full permission to create beauty, life, and a path by which He could draw
mankind to Himself in any way He chose.
Still, at each moment along the way, like us, she had to
continue to choose to trust Him.
We saw it first when she was barely past girlhood. Her words
(without having to text her friends to get their opinion and support) were
these: “I am the Lord’s servant, and I
am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.”
She didn’t insist on convenience or happiness for herself. Mary believed Him as the one designing the
plan and who was in charge of the timing and the outcome.
As the years went along she obviously didn’t shift to a
different mindset. It was after a few decades
of watching and waiting for His plan to further unfold when she was simply sitting
at a wedding celebrating and noticed a tension arising when the wine supply had
run out. There was no question about
where provision could come from or who had the answer, even though her son hadn’t
done a single miracle yet. Her simple effort
now was to encourage the servants to believe Him. Perhaps she was so practiced at being ready
that she could now anticipate when God was about to do something. Is this the fruit of those who ready
themselves for His call? There was only
one way for Mary to do life: “Do
whatever He tells you.”
Today we each have the same opportunity. Just check--is following Him at the top of
your to-do list today? If so, keep your
ear tuned, for He will make very good use of your yes.
We don’t accidentally become His disciples.
Photograph from morguefile.com by Marinapriest
