Reason #688
What if she would have said no? God Almighty, Creator of the heavens and the earth, asked her. Birth the Christ child, Messiah. Be his mother. His unwed, teenaged mother. An inexperienced, young, completely normal girl. Well, kind of normal. There had to be something special about her for God to give her this calling. And I'd like to think, although I don't know for a fact, that it was her willing spirit. The fact that she would say yes. That she would be obedient to God's will. I think that's one of the biggest reasons He called her.
She could have said no. An unexpected pregnancy is convenient for no one. Babies themselves make life inconvenient. Here she was, expecting to get married, not become a mother. And being a newlywed, I can't imagine the pressure this baby brought into the relationship. Because Mary was having to give up that time. "Their time." The years that they would get to spend together as husband and wife just getting to know one another and make sweet memories. Getting to experience those firsts and then plan our their family accordingly when they were ready. But that wasn't how it was going to go down for Mary if she said yes.
She could have said no because she wasn't prepared. Realistically, Mary probably didn't know what to do with a baby. She had never had one before. She had no idea what motherhood would bring. And actually having a baby... ouch! What young girl is really ready to give up all of her freedom, not to mention her body, to someone who is going to demand it every second of every day? Who is ever really prepared for motherhood anyway? But if Mary said yes, that was all out the window, ready or not.
She could have said no because she was scared. She was going to have to be completely responsible for this little life. And Mary was just an ordinary girl, after all. She wasn't rolling in the dough, and we all know babies are expensive. But not only is that a scary thought, so is telling your fiancée that you are having a baby and that it's not technically his. She could have been scared about what other people were going to think of her. Scared for her own life, in fact. And if she said yes, she was going to have to face all her fears and go through with this no matter how scared she might become.
Mary could have said no. The choice was all hers. But this was what God had in store for Mary. Because before Mary was born, He had chosen her to carry His son. Really, from the beginning of time, this was what God had planned for her. It wasn't as if the Lord was asking around in an attempt to find a willing participant. No, Mary was it. Mary was the one and only girl He was going to ask to do this. She could have said no. And what if she would have? What if Mary would have let selfishness, fear, pride, or doubt stand in the way between bringing the Savior into this world or keeping Him out of it? Would God have asked someone else? Would Jesus have come at another time in another way? What would that have meant for you and for me? Well, the good thing is she didn't say no.
Do you think Mary thought this was the way her life would go? Doubt it. I really don't think she saw this coming in the least. Yet God had a specific task in mind, and she was the perfect person to carry it out. It wasn't the fact that she was smart, good, pretty, successful, wealthy, powerful, or popular, it was because she was willing to say yes. She was willing to trust God even though this was, I'm sure, the craziest thing He had asked of her yet. She was willing to believe Him and sacrifice her own dreams and ideas to fulfill His plan. And because she didn't say no, salvation was born.
What could God do with us and through us if we didn't say no? What if we followed His plan no matter how crazy, scary, unexpected, or inconvenient to us it was? What if we decided to live out the calling He has placed on our lives rather than chasing after our fleeting dreams? Maybe, like Mary, we could help change the world. We could bring hope into hopelessness, light into the darkness. We could bring life where there is death, and we could be a part of something more incredible than our minds could ever conceive.
#688 - Because she said yes, our salvation was born.
"Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” - Luke 1:38
She could have said no. An unexpected pregnancy is convenient for no one. Babies themselves make life inconvenient. Here she was, expecting to get married, not become a mother. And being a newlywed, I can't imagine the pressure this baby brought into the relationship. Because Mary was having to give up that time. "Their time." The years that they would get to spend together as husband and wife just getting to know one another and make sweet memories. Getting to experience those firsts and then plan our their family accordingly when they were ready. But that wasn't how it was going to go down for Mary if she said yes.
She could have said no because she wasn't prepared. Realistically, Mary probably didn't know what to do with a baby. She had never had one before. She had no idea what motherhood would bring. And actually having a baby... ouch! What young girl is really ready to give up all of her freedom, not to mention her body, to someone who is going to demand it every second of every day? Who is ever really prepared for motherhood anyway? But if Mary said yes, that was all out the window, ready or not.
She could have said no because she was scared. She was going to have to be completely responsible for this little life. And Mary was just an ordinary girl, after all. She wasn't rolling in the dough, and we all know babies are expensive. But not only is that a scary thought, so is telling your fiancée that you are having a baby and that it's not technically his. She could have been scared about what other people were going to think of her. Scared for her own life, in fact. And if she said yes, she was going to have to face all her fears and go through with this no matter how scared she might become.
Mary could have said no. The choice was all hers. But this was what God had in store for Mary. Because before Mary was born, He had chosen her to carry His son. Really, from the beginning of time, this was what God had planned for her. It wasn't as if the Lord was asking around in an attempt to find a willing participant. No, Mary was it. Mary was the one and only girl He was going to ask to do this. She could have said no. And what if she would have? What if Mary would have let selfishness, fear, pride, or doubt stand in the way between bringing the Savior into this world or keeping Him out of it? Would God have asked someone else? Would Jesus have come at another time in another way? What would that have meant for you and for me? Well, the good thing is she didn't say no.
Do you think Mary thought this was the way her life would go? Doubt it. I really don't think she saw this coming in the least. Yet God had a specific task in mind, and she was the perfect person to carry it out. It wasn't the fact that she was smart, good, pretty, successful, wealthy, powerful, or popular, it was because she was willing to say yes. She was willing to trust God even though this was, I'm sure, the craziest thing He had asked of her yet. She was willing to believe Him and sacrifice her own dreams and ideas to fulfill His plan. And because she didn't say no, salvation was born.
What could God do with us and through us if we didn't say no? What if we followed His plan no matter how crazy, scary, unexpected, or inconvenient to us it was? What if we decided to live out the calling He has placed on our lives rather than chasing after our fleeting dreams? Maybe, like Mary, we could help change the world. We could bring hope into hopelessness, light into the darkness. We could bring life where there is death, and we could be a part of something more incredible than our minds could ever conceive.
#688 - Because she said yes, our salvation was born.
"Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” - Luke 1:38
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