"Let it be..."

"Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.' Then the angel departed from her."

(Luke 1:38)

We live in a society where self-actualization and self-empowerment is paramount. Of course, we Americans have long had the "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" mentality (thanks, Horatio Alger). We're all about "You can do anything you set your mind to" (thanks, Ben Franklin), and "Keep your feet on the ground, but keep reaching for the stars" (thanks, Casey Kasem). Plus, there's always, "Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do" (thanks, mom & dad)!

The first chapter of the Gospel of Luke tells the story of how Mary found out she would be carrying the Messiah. She wasn't married yet, but was betrothed to Joseph. And while betrothal was a solid commitment, the couple wasn't permitted to sleep together yet. Thus, a pregnancy at this time was quite scandalous. Anyway, the angel told her what was going to happen, and after a little biology lesson ("How can this be, since I am a virgin?"), Mary said, "Let it be with me according to your word."

When you think of it, that's quite a powerful statement to be able to make. Mary, this young, unmarried woman, has just been told she's "with child"... and instead of arguing or running away or even trying to negotiate her situation... she simply says, "Let it be..." (thanks, the Beatles!).

What faith. What trust.

How hard is it to say that today? To put our lives in the hands of God? To be open to whatever plans God has for our life... even if it's not what we'd have chosen ourselves? We still have to do our part, of course. We have to live our "best lives," so to speak. We have to use the gifts we've been given, and make wise choices. But there are times when it's clear that God is moving us in directions we hadn't asked for (or even considered!).

May we (may I!) have the faith to say, "Let it be... according to your word" (thanks, Mary)!