Nothing is impossible

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

In today's reading we hear the story of Mary saying "Yes" to God's invitation to be the mother of Jesus.  It's an impossible task that she could in no way ever be prepared for.  But she is a faithful servant ("handmaid") who surrenders to God's will and word.  How often do we pray "Thy will be done" when we say the Our Father?  Mary really meant it.  In life there are times when God calls me to be prepared and through my preparation we can handle perhaps more than than we thought.  Happens all the time for me.  Experience is a great teacher and over time I've become a better father, husband, and physical therapist.  I swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco by training in the right way.  And then there are the times when life has overwhelmed me - watching my father die from lung cancer, seeing my brother's lifeless body in his office., getting divorced, losing the house over our head.  These are the times when God simply asks me to follow Him and surrender to His will.  These situations seem hopeless but truly nothing is impossible with God.