Mary went through a lot in her lifetime, but we never get the sense that she strayed from her trust in God. The evidence of trust in the young girl who said "Be it done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38) remains until the last mention of Mary in Scripture, gathering with the first group of believers in Jerusalem, praying and waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:14). We can draw the conclusion that she was there and experienced the birth of the church with Peter and the others mentioned there.
So, what would be the secret to her staying power? How did she live the YES life through the ups and downs of so much change and challenge? Since Joseph is not mentioned past the time when, at twelve, Jesus was found in the temple talking with the teachers, it's likely she lost her husband at an early age. She witnessed her son straying from the normal life path for people of her community, becoming an itinerant preacher who gained a large following and stirred up strong opposition, until eventually, she stood at the foot of the cross and watched him die. And yet, if she was praying with the early believers she must have also accepted and experienced the joy of his resurrection. What was her secret? What can we learn from her about living the YES life?
In all these things Mary learned to accept the unexpected. From the moment Gabriel showed up and announced the birth of Jesus, her life became a tangent from the expected trajectory of a young Jewish girl in ancient Israel. The truth is that she never knew what to expect and, although at times she may have settled into expecting the normal, it wasn't too long before something reminded her not to get comfortable, to be ready for the next twist in the road. Sound like a familiar experience?Finding Jesus in the temple is just one example of a time like that in Mary's life. You can read it in Luke 2:41-52
As a faithful Jewish family, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and probably some of Jesus' siblings, had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival as required by the Jewish law. No surprise there. They had done it the previous year and would do it again the next. But this time Jesus caught them off-kilter. A day into the journey home they found that he was missing. Definitely not part of the routine. After three days (three days!) they found him in the temple talking with the teachers. What was that about?! What twelve year old WANTS to talk to teachers in any time period! Since there aren't any earlier recorded instances of Jesus catching his parents off-guard this was probably the first significant reminder that this son of hers was not going to follow the expected course. Mary was reminded to accept the unexpected as part her journey. She was reminded to give God her YES.
What about you and me? As I look back I see lots of twists in my path. There have been times that I thought I was heading straight toward a certain destination, no obstacles, victory in sight! I was making good time with my eye on the summit, comfortable, even excited. Suddenly, my road made a hairpin curve. I totally lost sight of the victory I thought was mine. I was confused. Lost. Disappointed. Angry. You've been there, too. You know exactly what I mean.
When everything inside is screaming, "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" we have a choice to make. Do we try to regain the anticipated life or do we receive the life that God has mapped out? We can try to force things to work as we expected or we can take a cue from Mary and accept the unexpected.
It's part of the YES life.
Key thought: Accept the unexpected.
A Scripture to consider:
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51
A YES challenge: Where has your life path recently turned in a way you didn't anticipate? How can you demonstrate your YES and accept the unexpected?
Prayer:
God, I didn't expect to be where I am right now. I didn't anticipate my loved one making that choice that rocked my world. I wasn't prepared for that financial setback. It really wasn't supposed to be this way! I choose now to say YES to my life as it is right now and trust You to show me yourself in the midst of it. I ask You to make me aware of Your presence and fill me with Your Spirit. I want to honor you in this and accept what You have allowed to come my way. I love You. Amen.