I step into scene that Luke 1 paints.

The angel Gabriel informs Mary, a young unmarried virgin, that she’ll give birth to a child. A Child who will be great and be called the Son of the Most High. He’ll have an everlasting kingdom.

Mary trembles and asks, “How can this be…since I am still a virgin?”

I imagine Mary feels more than a twinge of hopelessness, incredulity.

In other words, “This feels crazily impossible.”

Gabriel tells her the Holy Spirit will come over her. The power of the Most High will overshadow her.

I imagine Gabriel speaks with great confidence. He’s an angel of the God-of-Angel-Armies. He’s seen incredible things.

In other words, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

I imagine Mary begins to have more questions than answers, and perhaps she feels just a twinge of hope.  

Yet, even in this moment, of confident angels amid crazy announcements, here’s Mary’s struggle: give in to God or give up in despair.

I imagine she looks at these unlikely circumstances. Struggles to imagine a way out, a way through. Circumstances like these seem rather unmanageable, seem really impossible. 

Exhaling Yes, she breathes a sigh of relief, of release.

“Let this be as You desire, God.”

In other words, “I surrender the crazily impossible to You, the God of infinite possibilities.”

This Advent, my life holds things that feel crazily impossible. Maybe yours does, too. 

I struggle and wonder how to resolve what to do with things that look mighty unsolvable. 

I pause and ponder of the ways of Mary with Gabriel.

I wonder at Gabriel’s words, “For nothing is impossible with God.” 

I’m wonder at Mary’s words. “Let it be to me as You wish.”

Watching Mary, I see a way to be. A way to move from the impossibly crazy to the crazily possible. 

 Imagining Mary, I exhale and echo her Yes:

 “Let this be as You desire, God. ’Til my will is Your will.”

Yes, God. Yes.

The featured paintings are purchased artwork by Daniel Bonnell. All images are copyrighted.