Advent 4

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. You know that. You’ve had the experience of chugging along, minding your own business, as it were, and then…. And then something happens you could never have predicted, never anticipated in your wildest imaginings and your life is never the same. I’ve had those moments. In 1984 I was conducting a workshop at Grace-St. Luke’s, something I had done before and which had always been completely uneventful, only this time my life suddenly changed. There, in the front row, was a woman who caught my attention. Without telling the whole story, let me just say, she was single, I was single and we’ve been married ever since. Pretty life changing, huh! And completely unexpected.

Or take Mary’s story. Her openness to God’s movement in her life changed everything forever. She seemed to understand what the angel was saying, but could she really have understood what the whole story of Jesus would be?

Kathy Mattea sings a haunting song about this, called Mary Did You Know?
“Mary did you know your baby boy would someday walk on water? Mary did you know your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know your baby boy has come to make you real; this child that you delivered would soon deliver you? Mary did you know your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand? Did you know that your baby boy must walk were angels trod? When you kissed your little baby that you kissed the face of God? Mary did you know? Mary did you know the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again; the lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the Lamb? Mary did you know your baby boy is God of all creation? Mary did you know your baby boy will one day rule the nations? Did you know your that baby boy was heaven’s perfect lamb; this sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM?”

No, she couldn’t really have grasped all that, she couldn’t have known what saying “yes” would cause any more than I could have know what asking a workshop participant for a date would cause. But because of her faith, she said, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She never turned away from that. She was his loving, supportive mother to the end.

It doesn’t matter how fearful or perplexed we may be in the face of God’s daily call. It doesn’t matter how inadequate we personally feel or how poorly we understand exactly what we are getting ourselves into. What matters is our willingness to say “yes,” every day opening ourselves to the fire of the Spirit. God will take care of the rest.

You’ve got things you need to say “yes” to. And if you don’t right now—you will. Go ahead. God will take care of the rest.

Peace,

Jerry+