It's a...

BOY!!!

I am a little overwhelmed by this. (No cool photos yet, by the way; Wonder Mom left the CD at the doctor. Nice. And they trust me with young children.)

Even as the specialist typed in those truly blessed words—"Male; no abnormalities seen"—the prospective energy level/intensity/groceries/testosterone coursing through my future household is a lot to imagine. Honestly, the idea of four children aged four and under has me gulping for a little extra air. Now I'm adding a little extra rambunctiousness, a bit higher volume level. There is a healthy dose of fear involved.

And then, next morning, I thought of Mary. The more I encounter life, the more I am transfixed by her reply to Gabriel, who has just described how Mary's life, her reputation, and (as far as she knew) her marriage would be altered by the most unexpected pregnancy. Here's her response from Luke 1:38:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."

Wow.

I'm convicted that there's a whole lot of maturity wrapped up in that little verse. What if my response to fear, unexpected turns—or anything God sovereignly throws my way—was marked by that depth of faith, that depth of submission? Abraham had that kind of faith, and God built a nation on that; Noah had that kind of faith, and God saved his family from the world's destruction. This kind of faith has a pretty high value with God.

Christmas can somehow accentuate the things that aren't going as planned, as joyful, as peaceful as I wished they were. But from my vantage point, I think I could camp on this verse this season and discover a lot about the kind of heart that is "highly favored" by God (Luke 1:28,30).