Who Is Brave

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

THE SUN HAD NOT COME UP on the horizon, and most folks were still asleep. It was very early dawn, but I had been awake off and on throughout the night with what I thought were false labor contractions. My husband, Mark, was scheduled to fly out at eight for a job interview in Washington, DC, that had been scheduled for months. We were hopeful that this would lead to his next career move and were excited about his prospects of landing this job.

Just before the taxi came, I put on a brave face and told Mark that I had been having more false labor pains and that after he left, I would go to the hospital to get checked out. Between you and me, I was pretty sure Becky was on her way, but I didn’t want Mark to miss this opportunity.

When his taxi pulled up, I reassured Mark one more time before he left. “I will be fine,” I insisted. “I’ll be home from the hospital before you land in Washington.” I truly did hope he would make it back before our daughter arrived.

I’d planned to drive myself to the hospital to get checked out, but as soon as Mark’s taxi pulled away, I thought, Oh no! I’m going to need help. I called my neighbor, who agreed to drive me to the ER.

I started to get nervous and decided to wait by our curbside mailbox while she pulled out of her garage next door. We drove the short distance to the hospital—the one with the illuminated white cross I could see in the distance from my back patio—and she dropped me off.

I was honestly terrified. I no longer felt brave. Then again, I had heard that being brave is doing what you need to do even if you are terrified. Using that definition, I surely qualified.

Everything happened quickly after that. Becky was born before noon, and Mark was home by dinnertime to meet his new daughter. His little girl stole his heart the first time he held her in my hospital room. In the end, Mark didn’t get the job. The Lord had different plans for our lives.

Over the years, I have thought about another momma who was about to give birth under unusual circumstances. Mary had said her bold yes to the angel Gabriel when he foretold the birth of our Lord: “I am the Lord’s servant. . . . May your word to me be fulfilled.” Because of the government decree that all must register in their ancestral home to be taxed, she had traveled all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem—the hometown of the great king David—to have her son, Jesus. The town was so crowded that she had to give birth to her child in a stable, surrounded by the animals, and then she laid Him in a manger. She was so brave.

Momma, when you need courage, the Lord will be with you. No matter what you’re facing, tonight say your yes to Him.

Tonight we pray for the momma who is brave. Lord, she may be a newborn momma, trusting You in these early days with her baby. She might be in the thick of raising active children or teenagers. Or perhaps she is an empty nester, following You into a whole new season of life. Whatever place she is in right now, she is making brave choices for her family. We place our trust in You tonight as we look ahead. Watch over us please and keep us safe.

In Jesus’s name, amen.

Lord, You promise to grant me courage and strength as I navigate . . .