When Gabriel told Mary that she would be with child and then explained how it would happen, from Mary’s perspective, this put her at great risk. You can read more about that here (God’s Calling for Mary).
But even though her betrothal, her social status, and even her life were at risk, she has an amazing response which is all summed up in the first word she says: “Behold.” (The full statement is “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38). But that first word, ‘Behold’ was a powerful statement. We may not think much of it. We may see it as a way of saying ‘Ok’ or ‘Look.’ But it is so much more when we look at the original language and context of this word.
The book of Luke was written in Greek. So the actual record of what Mary said was Idou (ἰδού – pronounced E-do, definition: behold). This Greek word is connected to a Hebrew word Hineni (הִנֵּה – pronounced hee-neh-nee). Hineni means “Here am I.” This word is usually used to answer God when He called on someone to be His servant. Moses said it when God called to him from the burning bush (Exodus 3:4). Samuel said it when God called to him in the night (1 Samuel 3:4). Isaiah said it when he heard God’s calling in his vision (Isaiah 6:8). God was wanting to use people to display Himself to the world and their reply was “Hineni.” When Mary says “Behold” she wasn’t just saying ‘Look’; she was saying “Here am I, I am the servant of the Lord.” She was stepping up as God was calling.
Is God calling to you? Is He wanting to use you to display Himself to the world? Absolutely, He is. The question is, will you step up to God’s calling and say ‘Hineni’?