73. The Girl and the Angel
R
May it be to me as you have said.
Luke 1:38I
LOVEthe story of Mary and the angel! I wish I could have been in
the room with them the day they looked into each other’s eyes. I
can picture the Galilean sunlight streaming through the windows as
this huge, resplendent, otherworldly being gazed into the innocent
face of a young girl.
His wings had spanned eternal spaces. Her feet had touched only
the dust of earth. His voice had joined the throngs of heaven’s
praises. She had praised God only in her parents’ home.
Perhaps the angel wondered why the Lord had chosen Mary. Why
did he dispatch a message so awesome to a girl so young—a message
that would have caused wise men to wonder and strong men to
cower? Why did he choose Mary’s womb as a cradle for his holiness
and her helplessness as a refuge for his strength?
In his great angelic mind, did Gabriel ponder these things? Do an-
gels ponder? Or perhaps he saw a trace of fear in her face. Whatever