Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God

I know you will carry out any job I give you!

 Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.  And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."  But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."  But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"  And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.  And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."  Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word."  Then the angel departed from her.

You have found favor with God

Lord,

I so often fear what you will ask me to do next.  With all that’s happened to me lately it has to be big.  Yet I know I can do whatever it is because I know you will give me the grace to carry it out, but I also know that it may not be appealing to me.  So often it is something that stretches my heart and puts me beyond my comfort zone into a desert where I am alone among unseen critters that could appear at any time.  I do not fear what they can do to me, but I fear the unknown and the surprises of there appearance and their ugliness gives them power over me.  My fear is mostly in the anticipation of their appearance and sometimes they don’t show up and I’ve wasted all that time and energy waiting which actually takes my focus off the task at hand.  If I trusted you and your plan completely I would go out there and do what you’ve asked and move on, but to where I feel comfort and it won’t be where I started but further along the path.  You keep leading me beyond what I believe are my limits and you are always there and I know you are there but I still fear.

It’s okay.  You always push past the fear and do it anyway.

Lord, so often I do I any ways because I know that if I don’t I will get the opportunity again and things will not turn out the way that is best for me.  I have too much experience with that, to know.  Lord, I am sorry I don’t do it purely out of love for you.  I do it out of fear of the consequences.

That is okay, that is a step along the way.  I am not disappointed.  I ask you to do many uncomfortable, yet important things because I know you will, I trust you.

Woe, you trust me?

Yes I trust you and your love and your determination and your tenacity.  I know you will carry out any job I give you and you know I give you the grace, even when you are scared.  Your no’s always turn into yeses.