Just Say Yes

On Christmas Eve there was an article in the paper that I loved.  It is written by Diana Butler.  Here's a snippet from it:

Two thousand years ago, an angel visited a young girl anxiously awaiting her own marriage.  "Fear not, Mary," the angel said, "for you have found favor with God.  You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus."

Astounded, Mary asked, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

The angel replied, "God's spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."

Then the heavens waited.

Would she agree?

Although we don't often consider the possibility, Mary could have said no.  If I had been she, I would have.  God's favor?  Pregnant out of wedlock?  What of Joseph?  What about the wedding?  What would my parents say?  No, thank you.

God asked her to give up love, honor, happiness, and reputation.  To accomplish God's will, she would become a social outcast.

The heavens waited.  History hung on the word of a teenage girl.

"Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  The word reverberated through the universe.  Angels rejoiced.  Because of one girl's yes, God's son would be born.

Mary responded not in fear, but in love...She risked everything with an extraordinary yes.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that we are all sent here to earth to have the opportunity to be tested and tried, to see if we will do all things that the Lord wishes us to do.  We have our free agency, or the power to choose for ourselves, the things we will do and be.  What a great thing, that Mary chose yes, that she would do as she was asked to do.  Her yes allowed the Savior Jesus Christ to come to earth. 

I also like to ponder on the sacrifices it seemed Mary was asked to make.  For, as the article says, God asked her (at least on the surface, or for the time being) "to give up love, honor, happiness, and reputation."  What sacrifices are we asked to make that seem (at least on the surface, or for the time being) to possibly lose out on things we think are important? 

In less than a year, one of my sons will accept a call to serve on a two year mission for our church.  He will be asked to sacrifice (for the time being at least) the chance to go to college and young adult freedoms.  But, like Mary's sacrifice brought great things, I believe Bradley's sacrifice will bring great things to his life.  He will learn to study (not only the gospel itself, but possibly learning a second language), and to serve God and other people.  I believe he will come back from his mission a better man, and any sacrifices he may make to go will be more than made up in his life.

And so it is with all the sacrifices God asks us to make.  Whatever we may give up or lose out on will all be made up to us in some way, and chances are it will be made up to us many-fold over what we gave up.  So, with this upcoming new year, let's all try to be a little more "Mary-like", and just say yes.  As we do so, great things will come, not only for others, but for ourselves as well.