Virtual Advent

I wasn't going to participate in the virtual Advent of the RevGals given the recent events in my life, however todays reflection was about Mary, Jesus' mother and I couldn't resist.

She is my hero. My ordination ceremony was crafted around the Magnificat. I can relate to her in so many ways because like her I was surprised by my call to ministry and like her I made the choice to follow that calling. I emphasise choice because she could have said no, but when she heard from the angel Gabriel that nothing is impossible with God, she said "Here I am, a servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word."

Mary had everything going against her, she was a young woman, only betrothed - not married and poor. When I first realized that my call to ministry I felt like I had so much going against me as well. I was a woman, a lesbian, didn't have a lot of patience or diplomacy skills, and I thought it wasn't possible for me to be a pastor because of these things. But little annunciations kept happening in my life that told me that God wanted me to be a Pastor and so like Mary I said, "Let it be."

Now I didn't handle the journey with the same calmness that Mary did. I pretty much fought it kicking and scratching all the way. However I made it! I am an ordained Pastor! And this work is something that I love and cherish as I am sure Mary loved and cherished being Jesus' mother. It is painful sometimes, but it is also very meaningful. What's really cool is that God uses all my gifts in my work, what I have lacked, God has given me. What I think as a deficiency God has used towards the greater good. Blessed Be!