Leave Your Request with Jesus

  

³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” (John 2:3 ESV)

 

Ever have a time when your peace turned into perplexity or your calm became chaos. Let me share a couple of mine with you.

 

I got a phone call at 3:00 am on a July 5^th. Getting calls at strange times of the day was not unusual because of my job. I answered the phone expecting to hear I needed to be on the next plane to.…. Instead, it was an Ohio State Patrol officer. He wanted to know if I was related to a person. Yes, it was my brother. It seems in 1988 my brother got to be a traffic fatality statistic for that 4^th of July weekend. I was his nearest kin in Ohio. A good thing from this was, it gave me a teachable moment about faith with my children.

 

Another was more recent. In July I had to start visits to the chemo clinic again. When I got the new consent form to sign there were three little changes. The purpose of treatment was changed from curative to palliative, the period of treatment from 12 months to indefinite and the diagnose from stage 3 to stage 4. A teachable moment again but not for my children. This time it was for me.

 

I arrived home feeling little or no emotion. I was just totally lost for where does this take me. I grabbed a book in hopes it may take my mind somewhere other than where I was right now. It happened to be Max Lucado’s “A Gentle Thunder¹”. Chapter 18 was where my book mark escorted me. The chapter’s reference verse was John 2:3. The mother of Jesus did not give Him any suggestions. She gave the request to Jesus and had faith He knew what was best. The whole chapter was on giving your problems to Jesus.

 

In the past, when I read the Cana wedding miracle, I just passed over Mary’s statement of faith and only looked at the miracle of changing the water into wine. This time, with the help of Max Lucado’s word smithing, I saw that Mary did not try to find the reason or solution for the problem. She just left it with Jesus. I have done the same.

 

If you are going through a time that seems hopeless. Your employment was terminated, you had a medical crisis, your spouse has violated your trust, news of a tragedy about someone close to you or a loved one has been called home, look to Mary and follow her example. Give it to Jesus with no conditions. He really loves you. If you have any doubt look at the cross and the empty tomb. It is wonderful to be loved by a God who watches over your every breath. I will follow Mary’s example and go about enjoying the party.

 

Want to learn more about this caring Jesus.  An open Bible or a Christian friend is always a good place to start. And come, worship with His church. Jesus is waiting for you to call on Him and give Him your cares.

    

 

                                   Wess Mechler – Jesus is Alive!

 

ESV® - The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

1-“A Gentle Thunder” Copyright © 1995 by Max Lucado all rights reserved.