"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!" Luke 1:26 - 28
Ever been involved in a truly disruptive event. Disruptive events historically speaking are those events that dramatically change the course of things. The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, 9/11 are three that occurred in recent history. Disruptive events can occur in the ordinary man's life as well. Loss of a job, loss of a loved one (especially out of the order of life - a younger person for example like a child), a big move to a strange and foreign land.
For us, it occurred twice in our marriage: a tornado hitting our home directly only three months after our twins came into our lives in 1992, forcing us to move and rebuild; and, the move to Lubbock from Houston for a career move. One was done in crisis mode and the other well-thought out and planned, but both had a similar impact of disruption. The disruption is marked by a change in how things are done. The tornado was clear, but the move unfolded as I moved from being a certain and known person in education to a "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." I went from a trusted environment where people usually took my word to a move to a land where I was viewed with skepticism, to be tested at every turn from the simple to the complex. In the end, it made me much better at life, but the path was difficult.
You have your story too. Of this I am certain because you are living and breathing here on earth where disruption is certain. That is all a set up to say this: Can you even begin to imagine being Mary? Engaged to be married in the Jewish tradition to a man, plans probably if not certainly have been made. One night an angel visits and life as you know it will never be the same again. Later in Luke after our introduction in the verse above, we see the beginnings of the disruption as Joseph considers divorcing Mary "quietly" until God via Gabriel intervenes again. This is the beginning of many disruptive events in her life, when it is likely she only had the simple dreams of any woman of her time in her culture of being married, having a family, and raising them in the Jewish faith as well as teaching them a skill or a craft.
How does Mary respond and model for us at all of this? "Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (v 38) Most people we've seen in the bible fight, resist, or deny God's initial request. One even runs to give us a humorous look at trying to flee God's will (Jonah). But Mary remains faithful and seems to take God's call as it is.
We pray when disruptive events come our way that we turn to God and "let it be to us according to your word." We pray for God's guidance as these disruptions occur, knowing that He will certainly be there to guide us and send His Spirit to strengthen us and give us wisdom.
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