How Do you know?

(Jgs 13: 2-7, 24-25A; Ps 71: 3-4, 5-6AB, 16-17; LK1: 5-25)angel.

Several years ago, I attended an event for a well-known author friend of mine who was appearing at a local book store to read from her latest best-selling novel, answer her fans’ questions and sign copies of her works. As we briefly caught each other up on our lives near the end of the signing, I shared with her that I was shopping my first manuscript around. I had a few good leads and was in hopes that it might be published soon.

“Oh, it will be,” she said with the knowing enthusiasm of a seasoned pro. “I just know it!”

It was the kind of reassurance every writer wants to hear from someone so accomplished, but I couldn’t simply take her words at face value. I had to hear more. “Really? How do you know?” I pressed.

She smiled. “Because you are a good writer. You have a story to tell. You have an audience that wants to hear it and you have researched the right publisher to get your story to the masses. Why shouldn’t good things happen to you?”

My friend was so confident I would succeed that she signed her own book with advanced congratulations and went so far as to call me a “fellow author.” It was a sweet gesture, but I was unconvinced. In fact, I couldn’t even look at her inscription without feeling like a fraud.

A month later, my first publishing contract arrived in my mailbox.

Whenever I read annunciation stories in the Bible, I tend to picture these pronouncements as rather impressive events. Thanks to the illustrated editions of my youth and Cecil B. DeMille, I imagine when an ordinary mortal comes face-to-face with a messenger of God; there is no mistaking it for something else. I assume there is a lot of light, a white flowing robe, and an intimidating set of wings involved, so I am always a little surprised by the individual’s reaction, which typically borders on disbelief and fear. What’s there to be afraid of? Aren’t these supposed to be people of faith?

It’s then that I realize the figures in the Bible are really no different from the rest of us. No matter if the unexpected news comes with its own musical score or is in the reassuring words of an old friend, when it taps into your deepest desires, innermost feelings, secret dreams and biggest fears, it’s a little hard to wrap your brain around it. While I would like to believe I would take an angel’s pronouncement in stride the way Sampson’s mother did, experience tells me that I am really more of a Zechariah type – grilling Gabriel for specifics just like I grilled my friend.

So, how do you know all of this? Who told you? What did God say? I am going to need his exact words here. Why me? What did I do right so that I can keep doing that? Is this something that is going to happen in the near future or should I pencil it in for next year? About those other things I’ve been praying for…any chance those might happen? An angel would have to render me mute to get a word in edgewise!

The thing is you can ask all the questions in the world, but God doesn’t have a formula for how He works. It’s only when we are silent and accepting of his will that we can watch His power unfold, see His touch in our lives and know that He knows the depths of our emotions. We merely have to be still, watch and listen. It’s only then we will know.

 

About the Author

Julie Young is an award-winning writer and author from Indianapolis, Indiana in the USA, whose work has been seen in Today’s Catholic Teacher, The Catholic Moment, and National Catholic Reporter. She is the author of nine books including: A Belief in Providence: A Life of Saint Theodora Guerin, The CYO in Indianapolis and Central Indiana and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Catholicism. She is a graduate of Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis and holds degrees in writing and education from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She can be found online at www.julieyoungfreelance.com

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3 Comments

  1. That’s a very touching reflection. And I pray for a deeper love of christ in our lives, let our heart be open to christ’s love so that our lives may be full of joy as we wait for his second coming in glory. Amen

  2. It is funny that in another context something similar happened to me. This week my wife and I went to the doctors office. We are in our 70’s and it seems we go there often. Per chance we met another couple our age and had not seen them in a while. The women in this case has gone through cancer and other illnesses and had an operation about six months ago and they said that even if successful she would only have less than a year of life left because of damage to her heart. She was at the eye doctor and one thing she said that stood out to me is that we all have hope and hope for a better future. Just like Elizabeth she is a good God fearing woman and so is her husband.
    I am not sure if and angel stood before me and said anything that I would not doubt. I would have been scared to death. Yet every week we stand before God Himself in Eucharist. We should not doubt and yes like the good couple we met God gives us hope. Hope for the impossible and hope for the future. Thanks!

  3. How true it is as you said “.We merely have to be still, watch and listen. It’s only then we will know.”. I recently traveled to Illinois to be with my mom the last few day’s of her life. When I arrived to the Church for mom’s funeral mass I wish I had already learned the lesson of being silent. Instead I had to question every decision my father had made about my mom’s funeral. My father and I were not close and my behavior that day didn’t’ help.

    I have lived in California and now in New Mexico for most of my adult life with only one or two visits a year back home. My question for the Holy Spirit and for any wise one here on earth is: How do I tell dad I’m sorry? The day of mom’s funeral I must have told dad I was sorry 5 or 6 times throughout the day do to my inability to stay silent.

    Please God give me the wisdom to bring trust back to our relationship and forgiveness to each other. Amen.

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