Favor

My mother, her big brother & sister.
I think she still likes him!

When I was just a little girl my big brother was my hero.  I was sure he knew everything and could do anything.  Sometimes he would find a way to climb to a higher place in the tree we played in almost every day.  He would lead me to the higher spot telling me exactly what to hold on to and where to place my feet.  Other times he placed me on a high place and told me to jump into his waiting arms.  I never hesitated to jump or climb.  I had absolute confidence he knew what he was talking about and he was plenty strong enough to catch me.  I also knew that he loved me and risk hurting me.  You might say I was in his favor.

There was a couple in the church where I grew up who only had boys and they were teenagers.   They always wanted a little girl but it did not happen.  Occasionally they would invite me home with them for a Sunday afternoon.  It was always a wonderful day.  I was the focus of everyone’s attention.  The boys would show me the animals, the tractors and other types of equipment.  There was a swing in a tree and someone to push.  At lunch one Sunday,  Sister Rollins asks me if everybody loved me.  I immediately went through my family, church family, and school then concluded that everyone I knew loved me.  I knew what favor felt like.

As a girl of eleven life was not so innocent.  Our family was crumbling and life was hard, however, during this time God placed some key people along my path.  After I married I saw these people again and discovered that they had prayed for me from eleven until after my marriage.  I guess you could say I had found favor with God and man.

Favor - friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill: to win the favor of the king; the state of being approved or held in regard

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. (Luke 1:28-30 KJV)

Mary, an ordinary girl from Galilee having found favor with the King, had a visit from an angel.  The greeting given by the angel was a little disconcerting.  What could the words mean?   This first statement of Gabriel was simply a greeting and a declaration of favor.   God was with Mary and she had been graciously approved as one whom God could use.  We are not given much information on Mary but we can glean some insight when we look at her reaction to the message of the angel.  In verse 33 Mary ask a question, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”  The next thing Mary did was listen to the answer that was given to her.  The next words she spoke were words of surrender to the will of God.  There was not a moment’s hesitation.  I suggest Mary believed that God loved her and trusted Him completely.  The angel sees Mary’s bewilderment and speaks calming words.  Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Just as I needed not fear jumping into the arms of my big brother, Mary did not need to fear birthing the Christ child.  There is no fear in favor!

Many Blessings,

Virginia

 

If you were to ask any of my brothers or I which child our mom most favors, we would all say, her oldest son, Michael. But we would be joking, if you cornered each one and asked for an honest answer, I suspect we might each say it was us. That's the thing about my mother, she not only knows favor she know how to show favor.  I think that's how God is. He has shown us all favor. The question is how do we respond?