Because He Said So

What do you want for Christmas?  How many times have you said it?  How many times have you been asked?  Is what comes to mind something you can unwrap? 

Grandgirl wants a puppy.  Offspring #1 wants new lifting shoes.  Offspring #2 wants a bike rack. I have a collection of sticky notes on which I've jotted things my kids have mentioned throughout the year.  I love watching their faces as they unwrap a gift they have long forgotten ever talking about. 

This Christmas season, consider this:  What do you desire with all of your heart?  Is it tangible, like a new robe?  Or something you long for, like a new job; a fixed marriage; or financial security?  In addition to car washes and a wine bottle opener, my wish list includes an intangible:  faith.  

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith was my word to live by for 2014.  Apparently I needed it enough in January to make it my WTLB and I can honestly say, I still suck at it!  I think everything to death.  I want proof.  I want explanation.  I want to understand why things happen and exactly when I can expect them to change.  I want to have faith, but in reality I only model faith until it becomes a challenge.  At that point, the Lord and I arm wrestle.  I always lose of course, but that's a different issue.

You know who had faith?  Mary!  Let's net this out:  She's a 14-year-old virgin.  She is betrothed to Joseph, not because she loves him but because their families arranged the engagement.  Mary is doing her thing one day, and the angel Gabriel appears (Stop there and think-- any angels appearing on your doorstep lately?  The apparition alone would have sent me over the edge...). 

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Luke 1:30-32

Here is the non-faithlike Shugie answer:  WHAT??  No way!  Who told you?  How do you know? Did God say this to you directly, or did you overhear it?  No one will believe me, and I think I can be stoned for this, right?!  This is going to totally rock Nazareth!  Will you tell my dad for me?  He is going to be so angry...  Wait- are you a real angel?  How did you find me?  Am I going to actually give birth?  Like, why can't God do some miracle and just hand me this baby without the painful birth part?  Does he have to be named "Jesus" or is that just a suggestion?  Does anyone else know about this?  Wow- this is going to be tough to convince Joseph that I haven't been cheating with that flirty guy from Bethlehem.  Ya know, I don't think I believe you.  Which day is this supposedly going down?.......

And here was Mary's response:  “I am the Lord’s servant.  May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38

That, is faith.  I can't imagine the sheer terror of this young girl, who had only the word of an angel to go on.  All the details were still unknown to her and yet, she affirmed her desire to serve the Lord- whatever that would ultimately look like (Impressive Mary, you definitely set the bar high...).

How I would love it if the Lord just meet me at Starbucks one day for a nice long Q & A session over a vanilla latte!  Until then, my faith is a work in progress.  I recommit to lean on Him instead of my own understanding.  But, if Gabriel comes knocking on my door one day to enlighten me to all of life's unknowns... I'm not just letting him in, I'm pouring wine and asking him to stay for dinner.  Just sayin'.

In Faith, with tons of questions, ~Shugie