About the time I prepared for my daughter’s wedding, settled into a beautiful grandma home with a backyard playhouse, and developed a grant for an amazing neighborhood ministry at our Christian school, God derailed me. In my quiet time with Him, the Holy Spirit said, “Set yourself apart to Africa. Now.” I wept.
Imagine how Mary felt when the angel Gabriel came to her. Like me, she probably dreamed of her future as Joseph’s bride. Being a virgin was critical to a woman marrying in her faith, but God would soon make her an unwed mother instead of a betrothed virgin. Later, God’s call would make her an exile in Egypt and settle her for a time in the little town of Bethlehem—all things far from her expectations.
The angel’s words to Mary ring in my heart:” Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”
When God calls us to play a role in His story, it is often out of sync with our personal and cultural expectations, whether financial, situational, physical, or even relational. This can shock us and produce heartache. And it can undoubtedly frighten us.
The truth? It is a privilege when God does this and indicates we have found favor with Him.
When our walk with God lifts us out of our cultural or personal expectations, when we wonder if we have done anything that blesses His kingdom, we can remember Mary and know we, too, have been called by name because we have favor with God.
Whether you are just discovering God’s invitation or have walked in it for decades, how can you better embrace the amazing fact that God is delighted to knit you into His story?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Kim Robinson is a former schoolteacher who has taught in rural and central Oregon, Alaska, and with Mercy Ships in Africa. She currently lives in Salem, Oregon, where she is delighted to serve the Lord as a mom, grandma, writer, copy editor, and encourager of others.