Fix It, Jesus!
by Andrea Maher, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you do it.”
John 2:4-5
If we were watching Mary’s newsfeed in this day and age, we would see there was an utter blackout in information from the time Jesus was twelve to thirty years of age. Suddenly, as she activates her page, we are invited to listen in on an uncomfortable exchange between mother and Son at a wedding at Cana. You can be assured, if it was notable enough to make it to the Scriptures, there are lessons for us to glean.
Weddings in Judaism were mega-events and adhered to strict honor codes. Depending on a family’s financial condition, the celebration could last up to a week. We can probably assume that this was a close friend of Mary’s or a relative or else she probably wouldn’t have involved herself in the problem—they were out of wine.
I find it interesting that Mary goes directly to Jesus knowing He could – and more importantly should-- fix the problem. Can you blame her? He is 30 -years- old. She is growing restless of waiting for Him to begin His ministry. She must have wondered if it would ever happen. So now here’s an opportunity Son—do Your thing! After all, she has lived with scrutiny, disappointments and unmet expectations for 30 long years. What parent wouldn’t give their child a shove towards their gifting?
No one likes to wait, that requires a “hands off” switch. We are not wired to wait. We want to move, resolve, fix, fight and assist in making things better. I waited ten long months for my son, who was a former professional soccer player, to be sentenced to prison for driving under the influence of alcohol and killing an innocent man. The sentence of ten to thirty years was the initial number put on the table. It eventually got whittled down to a span of five to ten years at the discretion of a judge. I found each day before the designated court date daunting, like watching the sand pour out in an hourglass. The looming date served as a daily reminder life was about to change drastically. There were days “the wait” was suffocating. My mind would wander to every possible dooming scenario. I had to deliberately remind myself about Peter’s fear when he stepped out in faith to walk to Jesus on the water. I would say to myself each day, Eyes on Jesus and you can walk, eyes on the waves and you will sink. It was hard work, but it was the necessary refocus I needed.
Jesus is reminding Mary she will not determine when His ministry would begin. He would not allow her to intrude into God’s plan for His life. In Mary’s defense, she was concerned about the honor of the guest and probably anxious for Him to declare His rightful power.
In my season of wait, Jesus was reminding me that ‘all time’ is in His hands and no one has power over outcomes but God Himself. I renewed my mind each day as we approached our son’s court hearing with the truth of Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever He pleases.” It was God who would guide the judge’s heart to make a decision based on the will of God. That truth alone quelled many of my fears.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; mount up with wings like eagles; run and not be weary; walk and not faint.” When you meditate on this verse you will see lots of action verbs: renew, mount up, run, walk. There is movement in ‘waiting’ but it must be the right kind of movement. I have learned through my very hard season of wait that waiting is not inactivity but rather InHimActivity. That is a very big difference. When you wait you rest in Him, meditate on Him, surrender and trust Him. That is how you renew, mount up, run and walk in victory.
It is also powerful that the last words we would ever hear Mary utter on her news feed was “Whatever He says to you do it.” How fitting to apply those words to our lives in the midst of whatever we are facing. Basically paraphrased—Do what He says! How do we do that? We open up His Word daily to hear what He has to say to us. We rely and stand on His truths.
During the time my son was away in prison, I kept those words at the forefront of my mind. No matter what this feels like--just follow Jesus. I could tell you by getting to know God more intimately, by building my relationship with Him on a daily basis, relying on Him for coverage because I was desperate for Him, I was able to soar like an Eagle. Yes! soar through our prison experience. Only through God’s grace did I see with spiritual eyes each visit was to a mission field. It would begin with big smiles and end with heartfelt hugs and affirmation for all of us to keep relying on Him. The blessings were bountiful. I would leave there each week without fear, without worry for the future, because I knew the One Who held the future.
Mary could not figure Jesus out. In this life, there are many things we will never be able to figure out either, even with the full counsel of the Word. But we are called to follow Jesus, imitate Jesus, and have our minds transformed by Jesus. In so doing, we can face our seasons of wait, as well as our seasons of confusion, in confidence that He will do exactly what He intends to do. I can say from experience---there is nothing like watching God create something new when you thought all was lost.
PRAYER
Father forgive me for fearing my seasons of wait. Help me to rest in total surrender that You are in control of all my circumstances. Assist me to keep my hands off so that You will be the only One touching my situation. Grow me during these troubled times. Teach me new things in the valley of wait. May I become so sensitive to Your Holy Word that I know everything that touches my life has passed through Your scarred hands and is for my good and Your Holy purpose.
Andrea Maher is the former editor-in-chief of PARENT ABC’s a monthly magazine.Her writings have been regularly featured in local newspapers and parenting publications nationwide.
She is a ministry partner with Hope for the BrokenHearted, who features her blogs and video blogs.She is the author of SLAMMED: Overcoming Tragedy in the Wave of Grief, and recently had her book selected as March FAITHBOXbook of the month.
She is the executive director of the Be Still Foundation, a ministry that disseminates hope and encouragement —to prisons, rehabs, or families in crisis.She has been married to her husband John for 42 years and has four children, six grandchildren, and two more grandbabies on the way.
Follow Andrea Maher on Social Media @AndreaMaherSlammed.
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.