“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38

Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel is the ultimate model of unhurried submission and a profound lesson for our own hurried lives. When she heard God's seemingly impossible plan—that she, a virgin, would conceive the Son of God—her initial reaction was understandable questioning, but her final response was complete surrender: "I am the Lord's servant , ." This simple statement reveals the heart of true peace. We often believe that peace is found in having no demands on our time, a perfectly cleared schedule, or a life free of inconvenience. We chase "rest" by trying to avoid demands and maximize our own control. However, Mary shows us that true rest is found not in avoiding demands, but in the unhurried submission to God’s will, even when the plan is unexpected.

The Christmas story is filled with unexpected, inconvenient demands. Joseph had to take a pregnant Mary on a long, arduous journey for the census. Mary had to face the social stigma of an unexplained pregnancy. In a world that prizes self-determination and efficiency, God often calls us to a path of radical, immediate obedience, which looks like a monumental inconvenience. Yet, it is in that very act of yielding our control, of saying, "Let it be to me according to your word", that we find the deepest and most profound peace. Mary's submission was not an act of weakness; it was an act of profound strength and trust in God’s ultimate goodness and power. She chose to trust the divine plan over her own comfort or expectations. As we wind down the year and face the remaining demands of the holiday season and the uncertainty of the future, our anxiety and sense of being "hurried" often stems from a reluctance to release control. Today, we are invited to echo Mary’s words. The unhurried life is one that rests in the fact that God’s plan, no matter how inconvenient, is always better than our own.

When a request for your time or resources feels inconvenient, respond with Mary's attitude: "Let it be to me according to your word."

Questions for Reflection

1. What specific demand on your time or resources right now feels most inconvenient, and how is your resistance to it stealing your peace?

2. Mary's submission was to a plan that was highly uncertain and potentially embarrassing. What is one area of uncertainty in your life that you need to actively surrender to God's unexpected will today?

3. How can you shift your mindset from viewing service or inconvenience as an interruption to viewing it as an opportunity to respond with Mary's unhurried faith?