How do you deal with your losses to aging or with your parents’ losses?
And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ Luke 1:38
Eternal Lord,
Mary was a young woman when she spoke these words.
What wisdom and faith she had,
even though she was “troubled” at the news
that she would give birth to your Son.
May we learn from her at an early age
to surrender control of our lives to you
so that when we move into our later years
we are more accepting of the loss of control
we experience.
Many of us pride ourselves on our independence,
on not needing anyone or anything.
And then we notice that we can’t see as well at night
and now we can’t drive ourselves to Wednesday night church.
Some of us have been told by our adult children,
the very children whose diapers we changed,
that it’s not safe for us to live in our own houses anymore.
Lord, it is hard!
We need your wisdom;
we need your mercy;
we need your grace.
In our own strength,
we can’t face the losses of independence
aging requires of us.
Only by your Spirit,
only in the power of our Savior’s blood,
shed for us in his weakness on the cross,
can we accept these limitations and losses.
Help us dear Lord,
and shape us more and more
into the image of your Son
as we get closer to meeting you in glory.
In Jesus’ surrendering name. Amen.
Read Luke 1:26-38; 2 Corinthians 12:9-11.
