Lord,
when the angel Gabriel
appeared to Mary
and said,
“Rejoice, so highly favoured,
the Lord is with you!”,
did Mary look behind her
to see who the angel Gabriel
was speaking to?

And after Mary had agreed
to do God’s will
and bear his child,
did she keep asking herself,
“Could this really be true?”
because it all felt so unlikely?

In the past few weeks
several people who have heard me sing
have said to me,
“You have a gift!”
and I feel inclined to look behind me
to see who they’re talking to
because it all feels so unlikely
to me.

Lord, help me to embrace the fact
that I can sing
and give me the courage
to use this gift
that you have given to me.

© Claire Murray