Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
The Christmas season is in full swing. The tree is up. Lights are strung outside. Presents are ordered, some wrapped. Parties are on the calendar. Trips are planned. Everyone is smiling a little more, music is playing in the background, anticipation mounts each day.
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Until the unexpected happens…a conversation, email, phone call, text, letter, knock on the door with the news…divorce, unforeseen diagnosis, a needy spouse, a child runs away, a tornado rips though a community, a random shooting. No one plans for these devastations that change everything.
I’m sure Mary had other things on her agenda before the angel showed up in her room. And this change of plans had long range consequences for her, her marriage to Joseph, her standing in the community…just like you may have encountered.
The Christmas after the separation was horrible. My friends got the clue when they didn’t receive my annual Christmas card the first part of December. Travel plans that had been made months earlier had to be adjusted. Children needed comfort and explanation. Friends and family didn’t know what to say. It was a painful time. Over the course of the following months, I prayed that this pain would not be wasted.
As the months and years have become part of my story, I can see God’s hand leading me to today. I have learned mercy and grace in new ways. I cherish the friends who have stuck with me, encouraged me, and listened as I wandered through my journey. My family are the lights on my path. I’m learning what is important and what to let go. I seek to serve God, encourage those on the way, and love without restraint.
Mary could have argued with God and said No. But she said, “Let it be.” And her story became the miracle that affects all of us because she said Yes.
I can’t help but think of the Beatles song:
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Let your Yes be the next miracle.