About a month ago, maybe 2, I was listening to the Abiding Together podcast, the one I talked about in my last post. The ladies were talking about how often we want to wait for God to move, and then we follow. We are hesitant in what we know He is calling us toward, or where we feel He is desiring us to move next. We want assurance, some kind of sign or confirmation, that this is the way forward.
Have you ever felt this way? I know I have. I felt that way before starting this blog, I’ve felt that way every time I’ve taken a break from writing and feel urged to start again. I feel that way at the start of each school year that we continue homeschooling. Questions run through my mind, is this what we are supposed to be doing? How will this work? Should I wait to see if some new idea strikes me instead? How will I begin?
For a brief moment, Jesus felt the same way in today’s Gospel reading – the Wedding at Cana. Here He was, minding His own business, having a nice time at a wedding. Then His mother comes over and tells Him that the couple ran out of wine – a social disaster. He not so politely to our modern ears informs His mom that “My time has not yet come.” He wasn’t ready, it wasn’t the moment. But in that moment, she demonstrates all of her faith and trust in who she knows her Son to be: “Do whatever He tells you.” 5 simple words that have changed the world again and again and again.
Jesus hears those words and His moment of doubt disappears. Confidently, and obediently to His mother, He instructs the servants to fill jars with water. And with no explanation of what would happen, the servants obey, even to the point of pouring what they expected to be water into the head waiter’s cup to drink. They did not understand, but they obeyed. And in their obedience the miracle happened.
The saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” We are so like horses! God leads us daily to true, living water. But it is our free will to drink deeply or not. There is grace and life waiting for us if we just dip our heads in obedience and humility to the One who brought us to this point.
What are you waiting for? Where is God calling you, already more than halfway through the first month of the year? Where is there grace awaiting you to just take that next first step?
Update on my Word for the Year
So I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, reflecting and praying about my Word for 2019. I’m almost ready to say it’s “Follow-Through” but man, that takes a lot of courage for me to say. I am an ideas person, I love ideas. My husband somes calls me the “Idea Fairy” when I through too many ideas at him at one time. What I often don’t do so well is follow through on those ideas. I get stuck halfway through when the enthusiasm wanes and more ideas jump in my way. So, in order to follow through on things I need to do 1. A better job of discerning which ideas are actually from God 2. Taking the right next first step toward actualizing God’s plan and 3. Stay the course.
I’m sorely tempted to shy away from this Word, because it’s going to be a big big challenge. However, there is so much good that God could do with me, it seems like the temptation to set it aside might be from the opposing side.
Like I said, it’s not definite yet, but writing about it here makes it feel pretty decided. Maybe it’s the push I needed to make the next right step. I know that there will be grace waiting for me when my foot lands, ready to help me take the next right step after that.
Daily Graces 