December 20th, 2024
As creatives, we are all too familiar with “writer’s block.” Personally, I experienced it for a couple weeks leading up to writing this reflection pleading with the Lord for inspiration! When we realize we must wait upon the Lord to re-ignite the flame of creativity, we are humbled, and what better season to be made aware of the necessity and humility of waiting upon the Lord than in Advent!
Sometimes, in our creative lives we have deadlines we have to meet, and other times, in our personal lives we are faced with difficult circumstances we hope will change, but the Lord may reveal Himself and His plan on a different timeline than we expect. Ultimately, the Lord dictates how and when His Will will play out in all aspects of our lives, and most often, our relationship with Him becomes more intimate in the seasons of waiting. Maybe, like me, you are inclined to a “doing mindset” in life, wherein you assume that the responsibility is all on you to get things done. But, oftentimes, our Lord is calling us to a “being mindset,” wherein we are receptive to Him, trusting Him and how He is working in each moment, even if not according to our timelines. This is not meant to indicate passivity or inaction on our part, but, more specifically, it is meant to highlight the cooperative and submissive relationship that we are called to have with Our Lord, His Will, and His timing.
Today’s Gospel reading describes Mary’s Fiat, her choice to say “Yes” to the Lord’s call on her life. She says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to Thy Word” (Lk. 1:38; emphasis added). Let us focus on the latter half of her response. Mary is not responsible for accomplishing the work of this plan, but she allows the Holy Spirit to “overshadow” her, and she cooperates with the Lord’s Will for her life by saying “Yes” to it and His timing. In this way, Mary exemplifies how we can live in a “being mindset” with the Lord. When we are faced with stressful timelines, “writer’s block,” or a difficult circumstance where we are waiting and we feel the responsibility is on us to do something, I pray that we look to Our Blessed Mother as a spiritual guide for how to say “Yes” to Him and to allow Him to do the work in us in His own timing. May we use this Advent to remind us that a state of waiting is a blessing because with it comes an opportunity for deeper relationship and cooperation with Our Lord and His plans. When the Lord asks us to wait upon Him, may we all have the humility of Our Blessed Mother and say, “May it be done unto me according to Thy Word.”
Madison Mitchell is a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher and Cantor at her parish in Southern California. Previously, she was a Broadway performer in New York City, and she received her B.A. in English, Lang. & Lit. from SNHU.
Find out more about her here.