Handmade of the Lord

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord." Luke 7:38

Sometimes, when I've had a difficult day, being a handmaid of the Lord is the last thing on my list. I just want to get through the day without drowning! When I think about Mary, she seems so far removed from the day to day struggles we face. I see a peaceful, calm young girl, praying, busy at home, perhaps carrying water in a jar on her head, or kneading bread. My life is not like that.

How do I reach a place where I can say, "I am a handmaid of the Lord" like Mary? Do I quit my job and just spend my days praying and pondering God's Word in the Bible? Is that really what God wants of me? 

I look deep into my heart and I know I was "made for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). Just like Esther who saved the Jews from annihilation, just like Martha and Mary, just like Dorcas and Lydia, God put me in this time and place, and amongst a particular people.

To become God's handmaid, His servant, I have to hear God's call. After all, He is my Master. I have to recognize my gifts and resources because they are the clue to what God wants me to do. I don't live in a world of random events, coincidences. God is the Master Architect, and He orders my steps. He will call, and He will equip me. That is where I find my peace.