Mary: When Plans Change

 By Myriam Vargas

Mexico City

  Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

“Things don’t always turn out as we want; sometimes they turn out better.” This is a phrase I read some years ago and it made me laugh and reflect. Have you ever felt disillusioned because what you planned didn’t turn out as you expected? I have!

I think about Mary’s life. She was a young woman. She was engaged and, as all brides do, had plans and dreams. Then an angel appears and tells her, “The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you among all women!” Mary was chosen by God for a special task with an eternal significance. She was surprised because that task wasn’t in her plans. She didn’t choose it, but God chose her. And it was not because she was someone with extraordinary abilities or from an influential family, but because Mary was a woman of faith with a heart willing to obey God!

You may think, “Well, God had a great intent for Mary’s life, but doesn’t have an important one for me.” God chose you and me, dear sister, for a supreme and eternal task—that we be bearers of His Son’s life and spread that good news to the many people who desperately need Him.

Mary was a woman full of the Holy Spirit! The task she was chosen for was humanly impossible. So her natural response was, “How can this be? I’m a virgin!” Have you ever thought, “How can I do this? I don’t have the wisdom. I don’t have the experience”? God has for us the same answer He had for Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you.” God specializes in the impossible! We can do many things, but we’ll never achieve anything with eternal significance without help from the Holy Spirit!

Let’s imitate the example of faith and the willing heart that Mary showed when she exclaimed, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”

Let’s pray, “Lord, on this day cover me and once again fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I’ve done thousands of times what I’m about to do today. I may think I already have the experience and that I’m “good” at this, but I know that away from You I can’t achieve anything with eternal significance, because You’re the only Miracle Maker.”

 And let’s have faith that by holding on hand-in-hand with God, sometimes things won’t turn out as we planned. They’ll turn out even better!!!

 Questions for Reflection:

1.      Are you convinced that you were chosen by God to make a difference?

2.      In what ways have you seen God make a difference through your life?

3.      Think about the responsibilities God has given to you. How can you make sure you are relying on the Holy Spirit’s power to be and do what God has chosen for you?