Whatever He Tells You

John:2:5
"His mother said to the servants, do whatever the tells you." NIV
         I struggled mightily with what this verse meant to me. As Mary might intone, Don't speak until your spoken to. The same word that entered her womb in the life of the spirit challenges her in this story. It took a life crisis to experience God's voice amidst painful silence. My family called to tell me of health problems that were threatening my mother's life. She was diagnosed by a neurologist as having Upper Neuron disorder. She had been eating baby food, aphasia, labored breathing and heart spasms. That was a lot for my rapidly beating heart to absorb, especially knowing that I was a long way from my childhood home. The same intonation of Mary struck me. Don't speak until you are spoken to.
         I cried for what seemed to be an eternity, as I mulled over what to do. There was talk of mom needing a feeding tube. That same week I had talked at length with a woman who had dealt with this issue. Her husband had Alzheimer's and she was forced to make the difficult decision. I, like Mary wanted to fix the impending issue that attended having no wine. She was the mother of our Lord and wanted everything to go as well a possible. She lived to cherish the memory of God's Word being made flesh. She knows exactly what needs to be done. There is a need to listen. Mary says to the servants, do whatever the tells you. My mom had been the life of each and every party and now there was something getting in the way of knowing joy. The one getting in the way were friends and family who cared. These persons too, including myself needed to listen in the same spirit as Mary.

          She had asked Jesus for his help prior to talking to the servants. Jesus said it was not his time yet. In the course of listening to my best friend and my sisters bicker about what is best for mom, their was the reminder it was not her time any more than it was Jesus time to die to redeem men. Over and over I was told by friends and family, "Gary you need to come home NOW!" God says in the vernacular of being streetwise. "Shut up and listen". Mom is the one who has to make the ultimate decisions of what will happen with her life. I would love to help her out but it is simply not my job or time to make a miracle of some sort happen. I am all the way in Kansas City while she is in Massachusetts. I am faced with what I can do to help change focus. Instead of being so concerned with issues of dying how can we work together to define what it means to have a good life. I believe that Mary looks at Jesus with these thoughts in mind.

          I believe God wants us to change the question about what to do as impending crisis lurks. We know our loved ones may experience suffering and potential death, What can we do to experience joy in the best and worse of times? I believe the jugs that hold the water symbolize the ocean of tears that we express in behalf of those that we love. Jesus looks at ritualistic water and turns it into wine. After Jesus has died and risen the cup of communion wine signifies the giving of his blood for the forgiveness of sin. Now that is real joy. It makes it worth the effort that we take to be servants of Jesus word. With that In mind I say to all who call themselves servants of God, "Do whatever the tells you."
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