The little miracles

The little miracles are the ones that build our faith.  The daily surprises, the "thank You, Lord" and the "I barely knew I needed it" kind of little miracles.  

I'm getting ready for a "Real Comfort" retreat beginning next Friday.  I've led this retreat a few times now, and yesterday I stumbled into thinking through a new closing session.  A patient and I are reading the gospel of John together.  So, when I read John 2, I realized the perfect ending for the retreat.



You know the story; Jesus was at a wedding and turned the water into wine.  He did not have to do so.  He helped the Master of the Feast and the bridegroom save face.  He also kept them from having some sort of potentially legal consequence.  Weddings were different back then.  Jews were extremely serious about their weddings.  Weddings were very long, like 5 days.  And there were expectations.  For example, if as a guest you failed to give a gift, charges could be brought against you. 

Hmm.  No wonder Mary pointed out the issue to her not-yet-ready-to-go-into-ministry-Messiah-son.  I love this.  Jesus' first miracle was much like his last, the miracle of redemption.  What the wedding host needed, though apparently did not realize it, was to be saved from guilt and shame.  Embarrassment and error.  Sounds familiar. Were not a few of Jesus' last recorded words, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do?"

What we need, though we are only somewhat aware of it, is the same thing.  

So, I went to church today and what passage do you imagine the young pastor had chosen?  John 2.  I certainly lapped up every word.

It's these little things that build our faith. Some people might call that a coincidence.  Do you really believe in those anymore? These miracles attest to the  companionship of the Lord in our lives, our very own flesh.  We believers are invited to enjoy them immensely.

As anyone who has ever been on a diet knows, they are advised to drink eight glasses of water a day.  There's really no medical reason to do that, promise.

But drinking a glass of water can help in another way. If instead of eating something that you will regret, or eating when you really should be reflecting on the emotion that seems to be just below the surface, what you need instead of the food, is a little miracle.  How about turning that common, fairly unattractive "drink eight glasses of water a day" into "Jesus, I need your kind of wine.  Help me as I drink this water."

Jesus turned the water into wine to begin to reveal his glory.  So when we need just a little, almost trivial miracle, to help us get over using food for the wrong reason, he is ready to oblige.  And our obedience brings him glory.  When you've been stuck like I've been stuck, you know that it's a miracle when you change.

Abundant food is nowhere near the abundant life he spoke of, but only part of the blessings we are so fortunate to live in.  Blessings that have been a trap for me, and perhaps some of you.  No, the abundant life is found in basking in the reality of the Jesus who loves to do little miracles.