Mary Meets Gabriel

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Luke 1: 26-31

I am sure Mary was feeling a little overwhelmed after her conversation with Gabriel. Can you imagine God giving you the responsibility to raise His Son on earth?

Our childrens' pediatrician likes to use Mary as the ultimate example of a worry-free mom. When Luke was an infant I was concerned about baby food, allergies, and which foods I should introduce first. My pediatrician looked at me and said, "Mama, was Mary worried about what she was going to feed Jesus? No! And He turned out alright!"

I know without a doubt that God chose the right woman when He selected Mary. She was highly favored with God at a very young age, and God knew that she would be able to follow His will throughout her life. However, Mary was still an imperfect person just like everyone else. Jesus is the only one to walk the earth and be sinless.

It is encouraging to see how God gave such great responsibility to Mary despite her imperfection. I am sure she had her moments of doubt and worry just like any mother.

Gabriel may have scared her half to death, but God had a big job for her to do, and she did it well.