The Path of Your Servant
I did not stay up to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve this year. Frankly, it was a relief to see 2013 come to a close. I cannot remember a harder Christmas season as our family grieved the loss of my mother-in-law right before Thanksgiving, made a trip to Florida (all 11 of us) for her funeral, and arrived home with 3 weeks to unpack, decorate, and actually Christmas shop. Topping off the stressful season I spent 3 days bedridden with a virus right up to Christmas Eve. I would love to tell you I handled each struggle like a spiritual giant, but the truth is, I handled it like I was spiritually anemic.
If I could have chosen my path of sanctification I definitely would not have chosen the year-end events of 2013. Nor would I choose to use marriage, children, sickness, finances, or the death of a loved one in any way…ever. Basically, I would choose smooth sailing which fails to trust in an all-wise, all-knowing sovereign God who has a plan. A plan to mold me into the image of His Son. It’s tailor made for me with more grace available than I could possibly need. God reminded me in my morning devotions recently of another whose life took a drastic turn in a single night, yet her response was far different from my own.
Luke 1.26-38, describes Mary’s encounter with the angel, Gabriel, as he announces the divine conception of Jesus in her womb. Now don’t get me wrong. She did not jump up and down with joy at the meeting. Luke describes Mary as “greatly troubled” in verse 29. In verse 34, she questions the angel how this could even happen since she was a virgin. All valid, normal human responses from a teenage girl, raised in a rural village, and betrothed to a carpenter. Responses to which any of us could relate. But in verse 38 Mary raises the commitment level, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” ESV
I am your servant…through the gossip surrounding my pregnancy, giving birth far from home in a stable filled with smelly animals, fleeing to Egypt, all the unseen struggles and sorrow and joy to come, the torture and death of my first born…I am your servant. I will trust the path you have chosen for me.
I am your servant…as I wash the unlimited piles of laundry, change smelly diapers, endure sleepless nights, find out that my Prince Charming isn’t always charming, listen patiently to the same struggling friend who can’t seem to crawl out of that pit her sin has created, discipline the same child over and over for the same offense, experience betrayal at the hands of those who should know better, deal with health issues, and all the unseen struggles and sorrow and joy to come…I am your servant. I will trust the path you have chosen for me. Today, for this hour, at this moment, you are molding me into the image of your Son, “…let it be to me according to your word.”
-Jaylynn Cook
Jaylynn is the wife of our Senior Pastor, Bill Cook, and mother to Lydia, John and Paul. She is also “Mimi” to Will, Riley, Emery, Hadley and Ainsley. Jaylynn serves as co-leader of the Women’s Ministry at NAOBC, Director of the Ladies’ BFG and faithfully serves many other places, including Preschool Ministry.
