What Mary and My Mother Taught Me

Dr. Robert Gorrell

May 16, 2025

Reading

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:38

Reflection

Morgan Jones preached a wonderful sermon on Sunday! One of the powerful points she made was about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Morgan emphasized that Mary’s decision to accept God’s call to give birth to the Messiah was intentional—not passive. I strongly agree with that emphasis on the intentionality of Mary’s response.

Mary could have easily crumbled under the weight of the mission she was offered. She could have said, “I’m not able.” Instead, she chose to answer the call with those amazing words: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

There’s nothing passive about making yourself available to God.

By the time she was 34, my mother Nora had already buried one son and her husband. Instead of crumbling in grief, she made herself available to God. It was an intentional decision. She walked through the door God opened and served on the staff at Oklahoma City University for nearly 40 years, where she influenced hundreds of young people. Just one example: I remember visiting a Disciple Bible Study she was leading for students at 11:00 p.m. on Thursday nights. Over two hundred students were in attendance—many of whom had never stepped into a church. Mom’s Bible study was their introduction to the faith. Every Mother’s Day, I hear from people who claim “Mom Nora” as their own.

The decision to make yourself available to God is always an intentional one—and one every follower of Christ must make.

Prayer
Today, Lord, help me be intentional in my faith. Especially help me be intentional in making myself available to you. Amen.