Luke 1:38 (RSV)
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." . . .

Second Sunday in Advent: Image of Obedience

When Gabriel told Mary that she-a virgin-would conceive a son by the power of God, she quickly said yes. How did she arrive at that moment of complete surrender? How did she become so perfectly the Lord's "handmaid," as she so humbly calls herself? Could it have been without pain and tears and self-denial? In the house in Nazareth, did she feel the cold shadow of the Cross?
One Sunday afternoon before Christmas several years ago, my husband Terry and I were sitting in our living room, watching a football game on television. As we sat there, one of our children quietly told us some devastating medical news-a checkup had revealed a serious, perhaps fatal illness. We were stunned.
That night I lay in bed in agony. Christmas was supposed to be a celebration of birth-of life-and I had just learned that my child was probably going to die. Not even tears could relieve the pain in my heart.
From out of the dark the Lord brought to my mind two Bible verses: Philippians 4:6-7 (RSV): "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Deep in the night, I had a crucial decision to make: I could bow to God's Word and find peace as His obedient daughter, or I could surrender to my fear.
I chose to believe what He told me. I repeated that verse many times in the following months. And hardly understanding how it happened, I learned in my own small way to become a "handmaid"-to accept God's will for me, even if it led to a cross.
O God, Mary sets me an example of obedience. When my understanding fails me, let me repeat her yes to You. -Carol Knapp

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