A.A. Milne
had a quote in his book “Winnie the Pooh” that came to mind as I reflected on
the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary that that she would be the mother of the
Savior of the world: “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every
day.” I’m a big fan of Winnie the
Pooh. The subtle humor is what we need
in today’s world.
A quick
search on Google comes up with lots of quotes and phrases about the word
impossible, but none could better illustrate its meaning than the words in Luke’s
Gospel with which the angel Gabriel comforted a distraught Mary: “For
nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke
1:26-38)
How powerful
those words must have been for Mary! And
the relief she must have felt knowing that God was in control, and that with
God, nothing is impossible.
We, too,
need comfort and reassurance in these most troubling of times. The virus continues, and while we are hopeful
for the vaccine, its efficacy remains to be seen. So, meditating on Gabriel’s
words of wisdom can, likewise, give us hope and strengthen our faith to face
each day anew, knowing that with our God, nothing is impossible.
Many of us
can think back to when we were younger when somebody we looked up to told us,
“Well, that’s just impossible. You
better get that out of your head.” But
now, with our faith much stronger, we know better. We know that with God at our side, our
potential is unlimited, and whatever we focus our attention on can become
reality.
That reality
isn’t limited to personal growth or gaining control over our lives. It includes our potential to love others and
to serve those in need; two actions which know no bounds. If we really want to do more for others and
demonstrate our love and concern for them, we can, “For
nothing will be impossible with God.”
As we light
the fourth candle on the Advent wreath and prepare for the joy of Christmas and
the birth of our Savior that’s soon to be upon us, let’s realize the gift we
received even before the birth of Jesus through the words of Gabriel: the gift
of our unlimited potential as Christians to change the world and make it, and
all who dwell in it, better.
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
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