The Gift

“Hail, favored one!” (Luke 1:28)

This is taken from 

The Word Among Us, and 

I wanted to share it because

it spoke so deeply to me:

"Face-to-face with the mighty angel Gabriel, 

Mary was “greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). 

Gabriel announced God’s plan for her 

to conceive through the Holy Spirit 

and bear a son who would inherit 

the throne of David and rule forever. 

And Mary, despite not having 

all the answers, was able to say: 

“May it be done to me 

according to your word” (1:38).

The words are so simple, so faith-filled, 

that we might miss out on 

what was behind them. 

By saying “yes” to the angel, 

Mary also said “no” to many things. 

She closed the door on 

an alternative life that had its own attractions: 

a life of quiet contemplation, 

out of the limelight, 

surrounded only by friends and fam­ily; 

a life of simple joys and 

everyday challenges. 

And yet with just a few words, 

she put aside all her dreams 

to embrace God’s dreams instead.

We can read this passage

 and marvel at Mary’s faith—

and lament our lack of faith 

in comparison. 

But it’s important to see that 

when he greeted her, 

Gabriel called Mary full of grace, 

not full of faith. 

Mary’s “yes” to God was 

the result of the grace 

God had given her, 

not the result of her own willpower 

and forceful personality.

This is a 

key point for all of us. 

For in the final analysis, 

faith is not some­thing 

we drum up on our own. 

It’s a gift given to us by a 

gracious, gen­erous God. 

It’s a grace that he pours into us, 

a potent seed that is wait­ing 

to be plunged into the soil of our hearts. 

We may think we have weak faith, 

but the truth is God has given us 

all the faith we will ever need. 

We just have to learn how to yield 
to this great gift.

So what do you think? 

Can you say “yes” 

to God today? 

Yes, you can. God’s gift of grace guarantees it!

“Father, thank you for the gift of faith. 

Knowing you is the greatest joy of my life.”

To embrace all that God

wants to give us, 

that is saying "yes!"

It is an adventure, a journey,

and we will never know 

where God will take us!

It is not only Mary 

that God wants to use,

that God has a wonderful plan for.

He wants to use each of us,

We all have apart to play

in God's great plan to bring 

His Kingdom here on earth.

This Christmas, we are packing

300 gift bags for our local QC Jail.

In my other blog, Hebrews 13:3,

I recount stories about 

our ministry there.

This is our third year

and we will be giving the loot bags and

having a Christmas party with them

this Friday.

Hebrews 13:3 says:

Remember those in prison

as if you were their fellow prisoners...

Linking with

On Your Heart Tuesdays,

Laura at the Wellspring,

and

Christmas Blessings to you
and your family,

Patsy

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