Christmas According to Kids Part 2 — Mary Knew - Wednesday
TODAY’S VERSE
Luke 1:38
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (ESV)
One summer, when I was in junior high, my parents sent me to sailing school. Yes, Kentucky has a sailing school, and before I hit high school, I became a certified sailor with the American Sailing Association. In my late twenties, a couple of friends (fellow sailors) and I fantasized about dropping out of law school, getting a catamaran, and island hopping throughout the Caribbean.
One friend once told me about a sailing trip he took. The crew had prepared meticulously—checking ropes, sails, and weather patterns. But halfway through, the wind suddenly shifted. They could have fought it, frustrated that conditions had changed. Instead, the captain simply said, “We adjust. The wind is stronger than we are.” They realigned the sails, surrendered to the wind’s direction, and found themselves moving forward faster than before.
Mary’s response to the angel is a surrender of trust, not defeat. “Let it be to me according to your word.” She didn’t negotiate for more details. She didn’t ask for guarantees. She simply opened her life to the will of God, like a sail catching the wind of the Spirit.
Surrender isn’t passive; it is powerful. It is choosing God’s way even when we don’t fully see the path ahead. It’s releasing control—realizing the One who directs our course is far stronger and wiser than we are.
We often cling to our plans, our timelines, our expectations. We make “to-do lists” for life, thinking that if we check enough boxes, we can control the outcome. But God calls us to a different posture: one of openness, trust, and willingness to be used. Surrender is not giving up; it is giving in to the One who is infinitely trustworthy.
Mary’s surrender also reminds us that obedience is relational, not transactional. She trusted the One who had revealed Himself to her, not the one who demanded performance. True surrender grows from knowing the character of God and believing that His ways are best.
When we surrender, we allow God to work in ways beyond our understanding. We trade anxiety for peace, fear for courage, and striving for rest. Like a sailboat harnessing the wind, surrender positions us to move swiftly and securely along God’s current.
APPLICATION
What area of your life are you trying to control? What would it look like to say, “Let it be to me according to Your word” today?
PRAYER
God, teach me the strength of surrender. Help me release my grip on the things I cannot control and trust Your perfect will. Let my heart echo Mary’s words today. Amen.