“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.”
As much as I like to be accused of being a creative professional, with plenty of disrupting ideas, beautiful imagination, and inspiring strategy, I have a hard time when the tables turn. When the disturbing and disruption is happening to me, that’s when I struggle.
Perhaps you can relate? Like that time when your creative ideas and plans came together for Easter, and out of nowhere someone (their title might rhyme with the word ‘faster’) decides to go in a different direction. Or those times when you have worked extra hard to get the message across to the congregation, only to hear from people that they don’t even know what you’re talking about (even though they received the emails, opened the emails, and Liked the announcement on Facebook.)
No matter how creative or thought-out things are, sometimes our best-laid plans are disrupted. Heck, sometimes our routine lives are disrupted. Like the time when I let my brother borrow my car for the day and he totaled it, or when my apartment building does fire alarm testing on the days I work from home.
The Bible is full of disruption stories. Whether it’s Moses encountering a talking tree, Joseph waking up in a muddy pit, or Paul shipwrecked with a snake bite while on his way to being exonerated by Caesar in Rome.
By far, Mary’s disruption story is my favorite. Scholars say she was 13-15 years old, economically poor and intellectually bright. Engaged to be married and presumably excited as she has watched her cousin on a similar journey (six months pregnant with a mute husband—itself another comedy); along comes an angel.
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”
Not exactly the way Mary had expected things to go.
But Mary says yes. Not without feeling confused and disturbed, but in spite of feeling that way.
When God interrupts, the best response is yes.
I am convinced that God is often trying to interrupt us, we’re just too focused, busy, planned, and creative to respond. His interruptions are usually not easy, convenient, normal, or understandable.
What will you do the next time you’re interrupted by your all-knowing boss, your fussy baby, or your angelic congregation?
