BY DAWN REED

That day, it was only a poor teenage girl and the angel of the Lord (Luke 1:26-38).

There was a lot to take in. An angel. Good news. A baby on the way. The Son of God.

Mary listened. Then she had a fair question: “How can this be?” Gabriel gave a few more details and left. I’ve wondered many times what went through Mary’s mind. Did she giggle to herself? Good news is always worth sharing. Did she rush to her parents or Joseph, first? Her parents were remarkably silent. No words are written about their presence or support. Joseph was in disbelief. Not a great start to the most exciting thing to happen to the entire world. I wonder how many other times Mary asked herself, “How can this be?”

When I hear a word from the Lord, I have a tendency to fixate on the “How can this be?” Right away, I begin breaking it down into pieces, over-analyzing and pre-pondering how all the parts fit together. Is this a sign? Is that a sign? My mind spins with possible scenarios until my head hurts. I want to jump in, helping the Hand of God. (Not a genius move.)

Did Mary know Proverbs 3:5? That verse would’ve been mighty handy to carry around in the pocket of her tunic. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” She was surely trusting. Trusting that Gabriel knew what he was talking about. Trusting that the Lord was with her. There was no way Mary could lean on her own understanding. This was uncharted territory.