A Morning Devotion

Awhile back, my mom gave me a devotional, Moments with the Savior: A Devotional Life of Christ by Ken Gire. I have began to make the devotional part of our morning routine. I know that Ella is too little to understand but she does have ears to hear :). Anyways, I was really struck by a devotion. It was the type of devotion that made the hairs on your arms stand up and that sent a shiver down your spine and that gave you goosebumps.

The scripture that we were richly blessed by was Luke 1:26-38. (This is the passage where Mary answers God's call to be Jesus' mother.) The devotion focused on Mary's response to God: "I am the Lord's servant." What an incredible response! As Ella sat in my lap on this particular morning, I thought very hard about Mary's response to God. And I have to admit, as much as I would like to say I would have had the exact response-I can't say with 100% confidence I would have. It made me think and reflect...a lot.

It is truly amazing how easily those words can come out, "I am your servant," but do I mean those words with all of my heart? What would happen to my life if that was my daily prayer and I meant it whole heartedly? Not would it change how I treated people, but how would it change the way I treated people? Not would it affect my thoughts and feelings, but how would it affect my thoughts and feelings? How would life be different if I truly gave God everything and abandoned my own desires and said, "I am your servant."

At the end of the daily devotions, there is always a prayer and this is where God spoke to me-arm hair standing, goosbump giving, and shivering words that went right to my heart. I would like to share the words of Ken Gire with you (hopefully it is legal to copy this down-but I did credit his book and the page numbers :) ...

Dear Jesus,
What a remarkable person she was, your mother. So highly favored. So greatly blessed. Mary, Mother of God. Help me to hear beyond the liturgical familiarity of those words to their far-reaching implications. Mother of God. Who could be equal to such a task? Who, in any stretch of the imagination, could be qualified
The honor bestowed on her was staggering. So was the responsbility. To be the one not only to bear you but to protect you, raise you, teach you.
I pray that even across so many centuries she could teach me too. There is so much I could learn from her. What wonderful things would be birthed in my life if only I could learn to pray, "I am your servant. May it be to me as you say."
If that were my prayer, how would it affect the thoughts I think, the plans I make, the words that come from my mouth? If I read my Bible this morning with such a response, how different would this afternoon be? How different this afternoon would I be?
"I am your servant." The words seem so religiously correct. But are they really true? Am I really your servant Am I willing to submit to whatever plans you have for my life, regardless of the risk, the cost, the consequences?
"May it be to me as you say." I can say the words so easily. But can I say them honestly? Say them and mean them? Live them?
For years she taught you, Lord, with so many word and in so many ways. It's sad so few have been saved for us. But thank you for saving the words, "I am your servant. May it be to me as you say." If I learn nothing else from her, those words have given me a model not only how to pray but how to live...
(pg. 27-28, Moments with the Savior, Ken Gire)