An Interview With Gabriel

Q: Tell us how it all began. A: One day God called me in to tell me about my new mission. It was the most special assignment I have ever been asked to carry out. Q: What was this special assignment? A: He told me that He was sending His Son to redeem the earth and the only way to accomplish this His son must become human and live on the earth Himself. My mission was to announce this plan to the young girl God had chosen to be His son’s mother. Q: Who was this girl? She must have been very important to carry the son of God. A: Her name was Mary and she lived in the tiny village of Nazareth in Galilee. She was actually engaged to be married, but back then it meant that she was already considered a wife. Still, she was living at home until the final marriage ceremony a few months from then. The crazy part was that she was a virgin. Q: So tell me what happened the day you went to see her. A: It was early one spring morning and I was sitting on a large boulder watching as Mary was climbing up the path from the well where she had just filled her jug with water. As she got closer, I stood preparing myself for the important message I was about to deliver to this girl. Q: What was your first impression of her? A: The first thought that I had when I saw her, was that she was only a child, maybe twelve or thirteen at most, and she was already engaged? At that age? However those were the customs of that area and that time, and I was positive that God knew what He was doing. Q: So what did you say? A: I began by just simply addressing her by name, but I must have startled her because she gasped and dropped the jug from her head. All the color drained from her face and I motioned for her to sit on the bolder I had just risen from. She slowly sat on the far end of the bolder and I waited a moment for her to calm down before I continued. I told her told not to be afraid, that she was highly favored by God and He was with her. I told her exactly what God had told me to tell her. I told her she would conceive a son in her womb and she was to name Him Jesus. That this son would become a great man and He will be known as the Son of the Most High God. I continued by telling her that the Lord God would give Him the throne of David and He will be the Messiah over Israel forever. Q: How did she respond to that? That took even me by surprise. A: The message shocked me, and I already heard it straight from God. I couldn't even imagine the impact that it must have had on her! A young child, being told she was going to have a child She was quiet for a time and then she softly asked in her young teenager voice, the question that even I had asked myself. “How will this happen, since I am not yet married?" Q: Wow. That must have been an interesting conversation to have with her. A: Yes, and all I could say to answer her question is what God had told me. I explained how the Holy Spirit would come to her and that the power of the Most High would overshadow her. Then I began to explain to her who and what this child was. I explained that her son would be born to be holy and He would be the Son of God. I have to be honest, I was amazed that the Father was prepared to rest the destiny of the world on the shoulders of this young girl and leave it up to her response, her faith, and her decision. She was going to be the mother of God's own Son at such a young age. Q: What do you think was going through her head at that moment? A: I couldn't read her thoughts, but I could only imagine what she must have been thinking. How would she ever explain this to anyone, her friends and family? Who would understand and who would ever believe her? I could envision how furious her father would be, and how deeply hurt her mother would be. And Joseph? On the poor man! He would call off the wedding and all of her dreams of being married and having a family of her own would vanish. What about the town elders? Would they try to stone her? Q: I never thought about that. What did you say to ease her mind? A: I remembered I had been given one sentence by God tho tell Mary to ease her mind. “Nothing will be impossible with God.” I gently crouched down in front of her and softly repeated. “Nothing!” Q: That’s powerful. How did she respond? A: She was quiet for a moment, lost in her thoughts and then she looked up at me with her clear eyes full of maturity and wisdom. The words that came out her mouth shocked me. "Here I am. I am the Lord's servant, his handmaid. Let what you have said come to pass." Stunned I watched as she stood up and began to hoist the heavy water jug to her shoulder and then onto to her head. I reached out a hand to help her, but she shook her head and told me she could do it herself and she began to make her way up the path to the village. I noticed her steps were assured, almost with a spring to them. When she reached the top of the hill she steadied the jar with one hand and waved to me with the other. Then she turned and was lost from view. Q: What did this whole interaction teach you? A: Mary taught me that day what it meant to be a servant even when it's hard to obey, when there seems to be no hope except God's promise. Mary took the words, "For nothing will be impossible with God," and believed them. I believe that whenever anyone struggles with obeying God’s will, should look back and think about this young girl who began a servant's journey with the words: "I am the servant, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be! Let it come! I am His servant."