Mary Said "Yes." Do You?

Today I led the adult devotion at our church, focused on the topic of Mary and the World Changers.  Here is an abbreviated version of the devotion, mostly omitting the copyrighted materials from the Candles in the Dark discussion guide that we have been following during the season of Advent.

I was a little hesitant when Fr. Paul asked me to lead a session of the Adult Forum during the season of Advent.  I’ll be up front and let you know that nobody has ever described me as a “Biblical Scholar”.  Ever.  But when I realized that the topic for Week 4 is Mary, the mother of Jesus, I began to relax a bit.  I’m certainly no holy sainted mother.  But I am a mom.  I can relate to a very personal part of Mary’s life experience because although childbirth and motherhood has evolved over the years, ultimately much has stayed the same.  

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, it was during the season of Advent in 2007.  During this quiet season of preparation, my body, my marriage, my family and my career prepared to take a detour into uncharted waters.  The joy of knowing we were bringing new life into our family was accompanied by a bit of fear and trepidation…realizing that the only way for this baby to come into the world was for it to exit my body.  And let’s face it.  There’s no easy way for that to happen. 

At the ripe old age of 36, I pondered the best way to bring this baby into the world.  I planned.  I researched.  I drug my husband to the childbirth classes.  I considered all the options that modern medicine provides for birthing babies.  And I opted for an old fashioned, tried and true, drug-free childbirth.  At the end of the day it wasn’t so much a scientific journal or evidence-based research that solidified my decision.  It was my fascination and respect for every other mother that had come before me.  My logic went something like this….If the ancient cave dwellers could bite on a stick and bring their babies into the world by the light of a campfire, certainly I could do the same with the help of a yoga ball in the comfort of a modern hospital.  If the farm workers in the Cambodian rice paddies could squat, birth a baby, and go on to finish their shift, certainly I could birth a baby without drugs.  And if the mother of Jesus could travel on a donkey in her final days of pregnancy and have her baby in a barn (for goodness sake!!), surely I could forego pain medications and bring a baby into the world.  Surely.  

Well, I did it.  After hours of laboring and pushing and a little assistance from the baby vacuum, I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby.  And immediately after my daughter was born, a slight panic set in.  I always knew I wanted to have at least one more kid.  But after birthing that baby, I KNEW there was no way I would ever endure another round of childbirth.   

Well….we all know how that story ended.  Two and a half years later, I actually did birth another baby and I lived to tell the tale.  

When I think about my birth story and try to relate it to Mary’s experience, it seems difficult to draw comparisons.  We both went the natural childbirth route, but the similarities end there.  My babies were carefully monitored and cared for throughout my pregnancy.  The delivery was planned in a clean, comfortable environment that could safely receive my baby and deal with any complications that might arise.  The hospital provided heat, running water, food at any hour of the day and a skilled nursing staff.  

Mary birthed her baby during her teenage years, in a barn surrounded by animals, miles away from her family or any comforts of home.   

And yet.  

And yet her response to this calling is not, “Why me?” or “This seems like a lot of responsibility.” or “Could we maybe wait until after I get back from my honeymoon?”  Mary’s response is, "Yes. Let's do this!"  Well, that's not a direct quote, but you get the picture.  (If you want a beautiful, musical interpretation of Mary's actual response...click here.)

No excuses.  No pre-planning. No ifs, ands, or buts.  She was on board.  And grateful for the opportunity.  

How many of us respond to God’s call with such a calm and selfless display of faithfulness? 

When I first found out I was pregnant I was so thankful that the timing worked out so I would be finished with my master’s degree by the time the baby was born.  I was happy with the miracle, because it fit into my schedule.  So, that shows you what kind of type-A follower of Jesus I am.

Clearly, there are some lessons for me to learn from Mary.  Perhaps there are lessons for you, too. 

Mary's story reminds me that we need to spend less time getting “ready” and more time listening and opening our hearts to God’s will in our lives.  Our greatest calling isn’t the one that fits neatly into our schedule.  Again, I’m no Biblical scholar but I don’t recall any place in the Bible where Jesus said, “When you’re ready, and you’ve got all your ducks in a row, come follow me."  He said simply, “Follow me." 

He didn’t say “Love one another as long as you all agree on politics, share the same sense of humor and nobody smells funny.”  He said, “Love one another."  

The world will not know we are followers of Jesus by our fancy church building, which hymnal we use, our patriotism, our red Starbucks cup, our Jesus bumper sticker, or the cross we wear around our neck. They will know we are Christians by our love.  Period.  End of sentence.  

How will you bring the love of God to the world this Advent season?  How will you share this love with your family, your church, your community or the world?  I invite you to think of one thing you can do this Advent season to show God’s love.  One thing.  It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture, but something that is rooted in love.  It might be something that makes you a little uncomfortable.  It could be something easy or challenging.  It could involve money or food or prayer or action, or all of the above.  The only requirement is that it is rooted in love and will show love to a fellow human being.   

What one act of love can you commit to doing before December 25? 

If you're moved to share about your act of love in the comments, I would love to hear it!