Choosing Love Today: Enduring Faith - Episode 21: Mary: When God's Promise Interrupts Your Plans

I've got a little test for you....and for some of you this may be a little challenging because of your age. I want you to think back when you were a teenage...say around 14 or so years old. Do you remember looking so forward to something and how much you hated it when your plans got completely interrupted? You’re moving in one direction, life feels predictable, you’ve got a picture in your mind of how things are supposed to go… and then something unexpected drops right into the middle of your story. Something you didn’t ask for. Something you didn’t plan for. Something you don’t feel ready for. If you’ve ever felt that — you’re going to connect with Mary. Mary was a teenage girl with a simple, quiet life. She was engaged at a very young age which was common for the day. She had a future she could picture. She had plans she probably talked about with her family. And then one day an angel shows up and says, “Mary, God has chosen you. You’re going to carry the Messiah.” That wasn’t just unexpected — it was overwhelming. Mary had never asked for this. She had never prayed for this. She had never imagined this. And she certainly didn’t feel qualified for it. But here’s the part that shows you her heart: She didn’t panic. She didn’t argue and she didn’t run. She said, “Let it be unto me according to Your word.” In other words: God, if this is Your promise… I’ll trust You with it. Paul reminds us in Romans that God works all things together for good — not just the things we planned, not just the things we expected, not just the things we feel ready for. God works all things together for good, including the interruptions, the surprises, and the moments that flip your plans upside down. Maybe you’re in a time in your life like that right now. Maybe something unexpected has dropped into your life. Maybe your plans have changed. Maybe your timeline shifted. Maybe you’re facing something you didn’t see coming. And maybe — like Mary — you don’t feel ready. Mary reminds us that God’s promises don’t always come wrapped in comfort. Sometimes they come wrapped in surprise. Sometimes they come wrapped in disruption.... and sometimes they come wrapped in responsibility you didn’t ask for. But they always come with God’s presence. Mary wasn’t alone. God was with her. God guided her. God protected her. God fulfilled every single part of the promise He made. So today, let Mary remind you: God keeps His promises — even when they interrupt your plans. Even when they surprise you. Even when they stretch you. Even when they arrive in ways you didn’t expect. If God is shifting something in your life, He’s not trying to unsettle you — He’s trying to fulfill something in you. Trust Him. Lean into Him. Walk with Him. God keeps His promises.....and Keep Choosing Love Today.