Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Luke 1:26–38

There’s a moment early in the Christmas story where everything hangs on one word. Before angels split open the sky above the shepherds, before Joseph has his dream, before the journey to Bethlehem, before the manger… there is Mary’s answer.

A simple yes.

A yes that would cost her comfort, reputation, safety, and any sense of predictability.

A yes that would bring her into a story she never asked for but was uniquely chosen for.

A yes that would open the door for the Savior to step into the world.

And if we’re honest, most of us don’t think much about that moment because we already know how the story goes. We know Jesus is coming. We know how it ends. But Mary didn’t. She stood in a quiet room in Nazareth, probably still a teenager, with no script, no clarity, and no promise that anyone around her would understand what God was asking of her.

And yet she said, “Let it be to me according to Your word” (Luke 1:38).

What kind of courage says yes like that?

And what would it look like for us to say the same?

Mary’s Yes Began With Surrender, Not Understanding

When Gabriel appeared, Mary “was greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). Not inspired. Not instantly confident. Troubled.

God’s calling rarely begins with clarity.

It begins with disruption.

Mary wasn’t given a long explanation. She wasn’t handed a 10-point plan. She wasn’t promised ease. She was simply told:

• God sees you.
• God is with you.
• God has a purpose for you.

Sometimes we resist God because He doesn’t give us details.

Mary moved because she trusted His character more than her understanding.

That’s where courage is born—in the gap between what God is saying and what we can make sense of.

Mary’s Yes Required Faith in the Impossible

Luke 1:34 is one of the most honest questions in the Bible:

“How can this be?”

She wasn’t doubting God’s power; she was acknowledging her reality.

And God answers her the same way He answers us: with Himself.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35)

In other words:

You’re not responsible for the impossible part—only the obedient part.

God didn’t ask Mary to manufacture a miracle.

He asked her to make room for one.

And that might be the question He’s asking us this December:

Where do you need to stop controlling and start trusting?

Where do you need to stop striving and start surrendering?

Where do you need to stop calculating and simply believe God will show up?

Mary didn’t step into ease—she stepped into uncertainty.

But she stepped with God.

Mary’s Yes Made Room for Emmanuel

The angel tells Mary:

“You will conceive… and His name shall be Jesus.” (Luke 1:31)

And later Scripture tells us one of His names is Emmanuel—God with us (Matt. 1:23).

Mary literally made space in her own body for God to dwell with His people.

Your yes will not look like Mary’s, but it carries the same impact:

Every time you say yes to God, you make room for Him to show up in your life, your family, your decisions, your influence.

We often pray, “God, be with me.”

But God often responds, “Then walk where I’m calling.”

Mary’s yes didn’t just change her life—it changed history.

Your yes won’t bring the Messiah into the world,

but it will bring His presence into yours.

Mary’s Yes Challenges Our Fear of What Others Think

One of the most overlooked parts of this story is how it would have looked to everyone else.

Mary wasn’t married.

She wasn’t wealthy.

She didn’t have status.

And in her culture, pregnancy outside of marriage wasn’t just scandalous—it was dangerous.

There’s a reason Scripture says Joseph “considered divorcing her quietly” (Matt. 1:19). Mary’s yes made her vulnerable to misunderstanding, rejection, and criticism.

Sometimes the fear of people’s opinions is stronger than the fear of disobeying God.

But Mary’s courage shows us something essential:

If God’s calling is clear, you don’t need everyone else’s approval to obey.

Obedience rarely looks practical.

Faith rarely looks impressive.

Courage rarely feels comfortable.

But obedience always opens the door to God’s presence and God’s purpose.

Mary’s Yes Awakens Our Own

At the end of Gabriel’s message, Mary speaks the words that echo through every generation:

“I am the Lord’s servant.

Let it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke 1:38)

That’s not a weak surrender.

That’s spiritual courage.

Courage to release the future she thought she would have.

Courage to walk into blessing and hardship at the same time.

Courage to believe that if God was calling her, God would carry her.

And that’s the same posture God is inviting us into as we enter this Advent season.

Maybe God is asking you to say yes to forgiving someone.

Maybe He’s asking you to say yes to a new step of obedience.

Maybe He’s asking you to say yes to rest.

Maybe He’s asking you to say yes to trusting Him in a situation you can’t fix.

Your yes may feel small.

But small yeses to God become the opening lines of bigger stories than we expect.

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A Prayer for This Week

Lord, give me Mary’s courage.

Give me a heart that trusts Your voice more than my plans.

Help me surrender the places I’ve been holding tight,

and make room for Your presence to fill my life in a new way this Advent.

Let it be to me according to Your word. Amen.