Year after year, I read the Christmas story. And every year I wonder the same thing, what was so unique and special about Mary, that she was chosen above every other girl? The bible tells us in Luke chapter 1 verse 28, “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
Mary, was “highly favoured” and “blessed…among women.” Many scholars have concluded that Mary was also quite young, another astonishing thought considering what she was about to go through.
As a little girl, I would dream of what it would be like if an angel appeared in front of me with a message from God. My great-grandmother had several encounters with angels, so I grew up knowing that it was entirely possible. But alas, it never happened. As I became a young woman, and the whole Christmas story took on a new meaning when I realized what Mary actually went through, I had a new appreciation for her. Here she was, engaged to be married; young, innocent, naïve, and those are only a few of the words that come to mind. Imagine her surprise, when suddenly an angel appears and tells her she has been chosen to bring forth God’s son. Do you think this may have disrupted her plans a little? However, notice her response, and this is where I am going with this, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Wow! The bible does not say much about her upbringing, but I want to imagine a little, want to join me?
Mary’s response to the angel speaks volumes to me about her parents, in particular, her mother. I want to go back a few years, to when Mary was a little girl. What did her mother do to prepare her for such a moment? Did she arrive there on her own? I highly doubt it. Mary’s purpose in life was to be a servant, not just a servant to a random master, but to THE MASTER. Somewhere between the toddler years, the potty –training, schooling, emotional roller coaster of the pre-teen and teenage years, Mary’s mother groomed her, taught her and cultivated in her the art of being a servant to the Most High. She devoted time and energy to create in her little girl not only a love but also a respect for God and His kingdom. Their bedtime prayers probably did not stop at “Now I lay me down to sleep”, in fact, they likely prayed morning, noon and night. Did Mary’s mother somehow know her daughter would be chosen for the highest honor ever given to a woman? No, she probably did not. But yet, day after day, she trained and groomed, spent countless hours teaching, many sleepless nights in prayer and hours upon hours working side by side with Mary, raising her up to be God’s anointed. And when that moment came, Mary received her anointing with dignity and grace, giving ALL glory to God.
Now, I know this is all hypothetical, but it made me stop and think about my own children. What am I doing to prepare them for their anointing? Will they know? Will they be able to respond like Mary, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word?” Would they be able to accept God’s will for their life over their own plans? Not only accept His will, but also do it with dignity and grace, knowing beyond any doubt His way is the best way. I know there will never be another Mary, but I do know that my four children can be a conduit for the Holy Ghost to this generation. They may never have fame or fortune, to which I am not concerned, but Lord let me teach them to be servants ever ready to do Your will.
