Mary, a young leader full of faith

To kick off our 19th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're profiling individuals who played a role in the story of Jesus' birth in #12DaystoTreasures.

Scholars say Mary was about 15-16 years old when the angel Gabriel came to her with the announcement that she would bear the longed-for Messiah. She was
young, but she was believing.

"And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:8-33).

An ordinary day had become extraordinary, and the angelic visitation didn't rattle Mary for long. She wondered how she could bear a child because she was a virgin. However, her words didn't signal unbelief to the angel apparently. Check out Gabriel's response:

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail (Luke 1:35-38)."

The message from heaven was the promise of spiritual capacity -- the ability to do something humans can't do without the power and direction of God.  Mary didn't stumble at the promise. She told Gabriel: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v.38).

Dallas Leadership Foundation meets these types of leaders every day. They have bold dreams and bold ideas. They're unfazed by the impossible and driven by hope. We have the privilege of working alongside them to help transform neighborhoods. These leaders inspire us. Just like Mary.

 If you want to donate toys and other items to Treasures of Hope so that we can make Christmas special for hundreds of Dallas families, please visit our online store at dlftx.org.