May it be to me as you have said

Luke 1:26-38 tells us about the Annunciation, that is, when Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, despite being a virgin.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary's response amazes me. At first she asks how can it be, since she hasn't done anything to get pregnant. Seems like a logical question. Gabriel's response calms his heart, For nothing will be impossible with God. Mary responds with a simple declaration, but one that is so hard for us to say. Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

I struggle with the easy things. When God says to talk to someone I might not normally talk to, to give money to certain cause, or maybe just give a little more in the plate on Sunday, perhaps to serve as a Sunday school teacher for children. Those things I struggle with saying yes. I want to be more like Zechariah (Luke 1:5-23) Oh yeah, God? If you really want me to do that, prove it. Well, He proved it to Zechariah, made him mute until the child was born. We should be careful what we ask for!

Instead I desire the faith that Mary demonstrates. That though it makes no sense, though it seems impossible, though she isn't equipped to do what is asked of her, though what God asks me to do might make no sense, it might seem impossible, it might be something I'm not equipped to do, Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.