The Present

As people who often miss the present because we're too busy preemptively worrying about the future, we need to pay attention to how Mary pays attention. We look at Mary's ability to surrender in a difficult moment. In the face of what would have been unsettling news, to say the very least, Mary lets go of her own life and her own picture of the way the world should be and trades it for God's picture, God's purposes. In the moment, Mary couldn't see the whole picture. All she had to go on were the words of the angel. She had to trust that there was something bigger going on than what she wanted. She had to trust that something mattered more than her security and well-being and reputation. She had to trust that "No word from God will ever fail." Mary decided to surrender.