To most people, maybe even to herself, she was
average. Typical. There was nothing unusual about
her. People who passed her on the street probably
didn’t do a double take. We don’t know what she was
doing the day her world turned upside down. We don’t
know her fears and frustrations, what exactly she
prayed about or what her most intimate moments with
the Lord were like. Here’s what we do know: She had a
very special purpose to fulfill. To God, she wasn’t an
average girl. She was a girl who was obedient, who
was willing to surrender every part of her heart to His
lordship. So He called her to do something she
probably never dreamed of being asked to do.
With no warning, Gabriel met with Mary in Nazareth
one day and asked her to be part of the story we
celebrate every year, the story we see lit up in nativities
in front of every church, memorialized in books,
paintings and songs. We know the events: Joseph
takes Mary as his wife; they go to Bethlehem; Mary
gives birth in a grungy stable; the wise men visit with
their gifts; there are shepherds, a star, a rotten king. The
account of Christ’s birth is far more beautiful than the
snowflakes feathering through the air and the
Christmas lights blinking from rooftops.
But let’s go back to the part when Gabriel first surprised
Mary with her special calling. As Gabriel explained the
job God had hand-picked her to do, I can only imagine
what ran through her mind.
Mary, of all the women on the planet, was chosen to
give birth to God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. Mary asked
how she could possibly be pregnant, and Gabriel
explained how the virgin birth would be a miracle.
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to
me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).
And the adventure began.
Same Girl, Brand-New
World
Mary’s world turned upside down in a matter of
minutes. Even though she was ready to follow God
wherever He led, she knew the journey wouldn’t be an
easy one.
The journey required every ounce of her trust. The
child inside her was from God. He was God in the flesh.
Mary’s calling was unique and special, and some
people wouldn’t get it. She chose to take God at His
Word.
The journey required courage. Mary and her young
family fled to Egypt to escape an evil king when Jesus
was still small. She even gave birth to Him in a smelly
stable. (Talk about shaking up the trust factor!) Mary
could have acted in fear and frustration and begged
God to choose another girl, but she didn’t. Instead, she
chose to be brave.
The journey required surrender. We don’t know what
Mary’s plans for her life were — her goals, her agenda,
her blueprint for a happily ever after. All we know is that
the moment God called her, Mary was willing to forgo
any dream she had and followed God’s plan, a plan
way better.
So here’s the question: What will my response be, and
your response, when we’re called by God to fulfill our
destinies?
Her Song, My Song
God called Mary to bring His Son into the world. That
was a one-time deal! But every single day, through
every season, God is looking for girls who will respond
to His call the same way Mary did.
What is He calling us to do? What stirs our hearts and
makes us passionate? God may be calling us to hang
out with the girl who sits alone in the cafeteria or to
serve Him on a foreign missions field for a few weeks.
He may be calling us to end a relationship that doesn’t
honor Him, to make a hard decision or to follow Him
somewhere unfamiliar. Whatever the specific task, one
thing is certain: God’s looking for girls who are willing to
surrender to Him. The adventure He gives us in return
is more wonderful than we can imagine!
The gift of life God has given us can be spent in ways
that will blow our minds and impact the world for Christ.
He’s looking for one girl who will choose to stand out,
be brave and say, “Whatever You want, wherever You
want me — I’m Your girl.”
Mary was so overcome with joy by the way God was
using her that her heart erupted in praise. Take time
this Christmas to read her song to God in Luke 1:46-
49.
Somewhere, Something
God calls each of us to go somewhere and do
something. We aren’t here to take up space.
We’re here to magnify Christ in our lives. We’re here for
an adventure. In this season, we dwell in promise.
We’re reminded of the day the earth rejoiced, the night
one star broke through the night sky and one baby
came to set the world free. From the moment He let out
His first cry in the manger to the moment He let out His
last cry on the Cross, Jesus was all about His Father’s
business, all about us. No matter what the past year
has been like, there’s healing in His arms. There’s a
place where we’re wanted and loved, and He has a
dream for each of us.
No gift we can ever give Him could possibly match the
one He has given us, but we can, from the deepest
corner of our hearts, surrender our lives to Him. Maybe
our prayers this Christmas can echo a teen girl from
Nazareth — I am Your servant, Lord. May it be to me
as You have said.
Whatever You want, I’m Your girl.
