The best Teacher

Our former house is for sale. I’ve prayed that it will sell quickly, mostly because that would relieve stress for my husband. However, I also pray for my husband, that God would keep working in his life, transforming him into the man He wants him to be. I am well aware that God might be far more interested in answering that prayer rather than the one for relief of stress.
 

I am reminded today of the faith of Mary. She was at a wedding in Cana. Jesus and His disciples were also invited. During the celebrations, the groom faced the humiliation of poor planning and thoughtless hospitality. The wine ran out.

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:3–5)

My usual focus for this incident is the power of Jesus to turn water into wine. Lately, my attention is directed to the faith of His mother. She took the problem to Him, and when it appeared that He wasn’t going to do anything about it, she expressed her faith by telling the servants to do whatever He asked. 

Today’s reading says that when I ask for temporal blessings, I am wise to put the request into the Lord’s hand and leave it there. He knows my heart and my needs. If He sees it is good for me that the water is turned into wine, He will do it. If not, He will say no.

I cannot tell God what to do. He is not a genie in a bottle, or a spoiler of His children. He knows what is best for me. When I ask for prosperity, perhaps the thing I most need as trial. When I want Him to remove a “thorn in the flesh,” perhaps my greater need is to understand that His grace is sufficient. 

A child of God never stops going to school. At times, when life is not rosy or my heart is filled with negatives like fear or discouragement, I will say, “Lord, if this is what You want for me, I will accept it.” I have to be genuine about that acceptance, and when I am, He removes those negatives and replaces them with love, peace and joy.  

In the school of life, my best teacher knows far more about what I need to learn than I do.

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Father, it would be nice to have that house sold. It would be nice to have all nice things happen in our lives. But You know what is best. May my faith be like Mary’s in that I will trust You to do whatever is right for us.