Entrustment To Mary = Surrendering To God

I find it hard to surrender to God’s will, as I am still battling my will be done. [1]   For example, our daughter just delivered our first grandbaby. My husband and I took a 2 day car trip to be with them for the delivery. We arrived 5 days before her due date in hopes that she would deliver early. We wanted as much time with the baby as possible. Day after day went by with no grandbaby. We would take long walks hoping to start labor. As we walked we prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet letting God know we trusted in His timing. But then afterward we would go straight into discussions on other ways we could try to put her into labor. We even scanned the internet for clues. We discovered that eggplant parmesan is a good meal for pregnant women to eat to induce labor.    

                                                                                                          

I saw how hard it was for me to be patient and allow God to be in charge and to await our grandbaby’s birth according to His plan not ours. Yet God’s ways are so much better than ours. Looking back I realize how special it was to be with our daughter and son-in-law during that time prior to the birth.  Also, God had her go into labor the night before her husband had to leave for a three day field training. So he was able to be with her during the whole labor/delivery process. And, we grandparents had a full week of good slumber before experiencing the wakeful nights of a newborn. 

God’s plans are always the best – yet I easily forget this beautiful truth. This is where my entrustment to Mary helps me. Mary was always trusting God’s plans and surrendered her whole being to Him -  never taking back or desiring control of a situation.[2] By admitting my lack of abandonment to God and allowing Blessed Mom to guide me - WE can start trusting and surrendering together. I know growing in abandonment to God may be a long process for me, as I have lived most of my life fighting it. But with Blessed Mom leading me I know I can trudge along the right path, all the while being loved as I am. I anticipate God will soon give me conditions to practice this surrendering as currently Advent is speeding by and Christmas is approaching with the temptation to fall into worldly expectations for this holy season.

[1] "The essence of Christianity is the continual saying to God, Thy will be done. The Blessed Mother continually repeated these words to God." Tadeusz Dajczer, The Gift of Faith, 3rd. ed. (Ft. Collins, CO: IAMF, 2012), 122. Used with permission.

[2] "During our storms and our trials of faith, we must also never forget about the continuous presence of Mary who is close to us as the Mother of our abandonment to God. Let us ask her to allow us to share in her abandonment to God, so that we may stop trusting ourselves, things, and people, and that we may perceive the continuous presence of her son who is close to us and is our only security. We ask Mary that, following her example, we trust exclusively in the Lord: Mother of Great Abandonment, I offer myself to you without reservation – to the end." Ibid, 125.