Holy Vessel

"God sent the Angel Gabriel to Nazareth, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!' Mary was greatly troubled at his words. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.. . . . Nothing is impossible with God.'  'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.'  " [Luke 1: 26-37]

The Christian calendar is confusingly compressed. Almost as soon as Advent is over, Jesus is born; then we have but a few weeks and Lent begins. We careen from waiting for the blessed baby to be born, into the Lenten waiting for His death.

Now, in the midst of Lent, it feels like Christmas again, with this Scripture about how Mary learned that she would bear the Christ child. This is called "Christmas in March". (Hunh?) And yet, the timing makes sense. Christmas is only nine months away from the Annunciation celebrated today.

In the middle of Lent, we are in a stark desert landscape, in deep prayer, fasting, dreading the day that Jesus is marched to his Crucifixion. Yet once more God lifts us up in the midst of our pain, once by the Transfiguration. Once by the Annunciation.

And the joy is that a simple peasant girl from a tiny village has been called by God. The miracle is that God came to such a lowly woman. An even greater miracle is that she was so very afraid, but she said, Yes!

I remember a few years ago now, when my best friend was diagnosed with cancer. She was married and had two young children. She called me with the diagnosis. We both knew it was serious.

She told me that her family was overwhelmed and she asked me to sort to "take over". I was stunned. I stammered, 'But how will I know what you need?' She said, 'Do what you would do. Do what you think is right. I trust you.'

When I told my husband what I was asked to do, he said, "You are NOT going to try to do this yourself, are you?!"

You see, I thought at the time that I WAS alone. I sort of panicked about how I would know what to do, let alone how I could pull it off. I could not say no to my best friend, but I did not know how I could say Yes.

Then, miracles happened. People showed up at my door offering things or services that I did not even know this family needed. Probably the most amazing circumstance was when my friend wanted to try carrot soup because her doctors told her that a nutrient in carrots could help her condition. But she had no recipe and she needed a lot of carrots! And meanwhile, a local mom had a huge windfall of carrots from a cooperative farm and was wondering what on earth she would do with all those carrots. So the local mom called me and asked if my friend would like some carrot soup. ???!!!!

I had NO idea what I was doing in this effort.

But somehow, everyday, I understood what had to be done.  The effort to help my friend meant I had to open myself up, to trust God fully, that I could be a vessel, a medium for His love and mercy. I was scared and at times overwhelmed, but God was always present at my side.

And today, I say, thank God, I did say, Yes.
God, may I trust in Your call upon me and know that You are always there, because I know that 'Nothing is impossible with God!'

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