FASHIONED FOR GOD'S PURPOSES

This is the talk I gave in August at our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in North  Augusta, South Carolina                                          

How many in this room feel called to go to the mission field?  I sure did until I discover they had animals. Father told me, “Ellen, NO animals.” I think he heard me wrong because we all know that priest cannot lie. Then the second obstacle came with the wardrobe. What would I wear?  Do high  heels work for my foot wear on the missionaries?  As you can see I am what is called, “Missionary Challenged. “ I was so sad to discover that the mission field was not my gift; when a miracle happened. Yes, my brothers and sisters in Christ miracles happen and the greatest miracles happen in your heart. 

Like the angel Gabriel who spoke to the Shepherds; I come to you today to bring you tidings of great Joy. “Good News.” I love good news. How about you? The good news is, “Today the entire world is a mission field.”  Yes, hearts everywhere are longing for the “Good News of Christ” to come into their fields. However, “The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.”  All of us are given the opportunity to be a missionary right where we are, in our little corner of the world.  We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, living the good news and preach the good news.  St Francis is quoted as saying, “Preach the gospel wherever you may go and when necessary use words.”   My friend, in the world today, where the dark is getting darker and the light of Christ is shining brighter, I find words very necessary. We must speak out for the truth of Our One, Holy Catholic faith or who will?  In order to make a difference, we must know: the how, what, where and why of our gifts. So how do I discover my gifts? In order to know your God given gifts, you must first get to know God? We are all searching. Let me tell you my story.

Every faith walk takes you on a journey; journeys where you are asked to take Jesus’s nail scarred hand and trust Him to lead you.  Jesus leads you to the very heart of our loving Heavenly Father.

I was born and baptized into the Catholic faith.  As a cradle Catholic my faith was nourished thru a praying grandma’s good example and the instruction of the nuns in Catholic School.  I can still remember the nuns saying, “Who made you?  God made you. Why did God make you? God made you to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him and to be happy with Him one day in heaven.” I grew to know and love my Catholic Faith.  I longed to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.  What a glorious day it was, when I, dressed all in white as a bride, walked to the altar singing, “Jesus, Jesus, come to me.”  God knew it was truly my heart’s desire, and He answered that prayer.  As I received Jesus “Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity” for the first time, the truth of our faith was written on my soul.  Jesus revealed Himself to me.  I gave my life to Him and He began to lead me.  I went to daily mass, frequented the sacrament of reconciliation, sang to Jesus, and prayed about everything.  

 High School found me in a public school where it was not in vogue to be smart, nor acceptable to be a committed Catholic.  In order to be popular, I went undercover, but my faith suffered greatly.   We went to Mass on Sunday as a family and I continued to pray before I went to bed.  However, I had no support from other Catholics, no opportunity for daily Eucharist and I did not grow in the Faith.  The day I graduated from high school, my family moved back to the South.  I tried a college in Georgia and one in Florida, and both were a culture shock; drugs, drinking and sex were rampant, and I was appalled.  I knew it would be impossible for me to grow close to Jesus in this environment.   I moved to Florida, to fulfill my dream to be a stewardess with a friend.  We were soon flying the friendly skies as Flight Attendants for Air Florida.  Again my faith suffered, Jesus was no longer first in my life. The unfortunate part, I was not even aware of it!

At age nineteen I met and fell in love with the man of my dreams, Patrick, who was studying to be a physician at University of Miami.  He happened to be Peggy’s cousin.  During this season of my life, God tried to get my attention thru a dream.  In the dream I was stirring some cookie dough in a bowl.  As I gazed into the bowl, Jesus appeared, saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is thru me.”   Since this was not an ordinary experience for me, I sought advice, but did not get clear direction, so I dismissed it.  Pat and I married, on May 1, 1974.  After a one month honeymoon, and graduation, we moved to Gainesville, Florida for Pat’s residency. 

We were soon blessed with a little boy, a little girl and moved to suburbia.  In a worldly sense, we had made it.  I was so happy that I went back to Church.  In four year lapse of practicing my faith, the Charismatic renewal had evolved.  I went to a prayer meeting where a gal read the same scripture from my dream.  I knew I was home.  It was on that day that I gave my heart back to Jesus.  I promised Him that I did not care who knew I was a Catholic, I would live for Him.  When Pat decided to go into practice, “I prayed we would go to where Pat, then a pagan, would find Jesus.”  After a year in Vernal, Utah Pat gave his heart to Jesus too.   Together we made the decision to move back to the South to be close to family and to join Alleluia, a Charismatic Community in Augusta, Georgia.  God blessed us with many children, friendships, teachings and great graces.  God trained us up, nourished us, and established us.  In Alleluia people were trying to live radically for Jesus. Then God called Pat to become a Deacon.  We both embraced full time ministry and agreed to pour our lives into building the Church.

I believe God has called me to pass the faith down to the next generation and to help young mothers find the joy in their vocation as wife and mother.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to speak about Jesus on TV, radio, mom’s clubs, churches and thru the books and bible studies I have written.  

You never know where God will lead you.  I have journeyed to mountaintops of great joy, into valleys of tears and sadness, and thru deserts of loneliness, waiting until God parts the Red Sea.  I have learned that it in the crucible of suffering you get to know God for yourself.  He alone will teach you how to walk on the water, if you keep your eyes on Him. When you begin to sink, he will send a lifeboat in the form of other committed followers.  No one can walk the journey alone.  I wake up every morning to pray and seek the face of Jesus, and to take a strong hold of his nail scarred hand.  I listen for His still small voice; then try to do what He tells me.  I still sing to Jesus, pray about everything, try to assist at daily Mass go to confession often; as that is where His grace is found.  I know I need Him.  In God alone, I place my trust.  I want Him to be my everything!

 The first words I heard in the silence of my heart in prayer were, “I only give you good gifts.” My heart began to change forever. Yes, his words have proved true; they are always just my size and the desire of my heart.  God himself will help you slowly, carefully, and diligently, unwrap the presents he has placed in your heart; these gifts once revealed are to be used for his glory alone. In Psalm 139 God says, “I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.   He knit you together making us a unique creation of his love.  I don’t know the entire Baltimore catechism by heart  by any means but that one lengthy sentence has stuck with me for life. I think it describes our catholic faith in a nut shell.  I say it a little different now. I say instead to know God is to love God, for God is love. To truly love God is to serve God. Then we will be happy with him in heaven.

So do you know God? How can you know God for yourself?  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word.  The word of God also says "you will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with you whole heart. Has anyone ever played hide and go seek with their children or grandchildren. If you are playing with a four year old or under as soon as they hide they want you to find them. They might say here I am, Nana,  Nana here I am, why they want to be found. Jesus wants us to find him too. He wants to pop out and say here I am. When we embraces our faith and realize that He is who he says He is. Our faith travels from our head to our hearts it is then that we can't live for Him. The bible is no longer words on a page but rather our God speaking to us who believe.

Jesus is God’s gift to us. Our lives are to be our thank you gifts back to God in response to His unfailing love. Let’s see how some bible characters lived that out. God had a purpose for each bible character. We can learn from their example and also from the example of the Saints.

 David we can see his character develop and be transformed by the hand of God. David was affectionately called, “A man after God’s own heart,” although after reading his story, you might be surprised! Today his life would definitely make a juicy reality show or at least the best seller list. Hopefully none of us in the room would tune in or read about it. Although David was a great sinner, a mortal sinner, he knew that He served not only a holy, but also a merciful God. When David was weak; he knew that his God was strong. David knew where to go to get the grace need to be strengthened, that of course was in God’s presence.  David sinned big but He sought His bigger God, with his whole heart. He prayed, he sang, and he danced before his heavenly Father. He poured out his whole heart to God and most of all he trusted and depended on God for everything.  David found His God to be faithful and true. David knew God, not just knew about God; and because of his personal relationship with God he was able to praise God from His heart.  David did not just go thru the motions; he had a living faith in a living God. David’s heart was set on God and because of His character; God was able to use David.  The purpose of David’s life was to be king.

Abraham went from childless to the father of many nations with a little help from his wife Sarah. She laughed when God told her husband that she would bear a child in her 90’s. Whenever I read her story I still laugh. Watch what you pray for. God’s ways are not our ways. Abraham was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a purpose for Abraham’s life.

Joseph was favored by his dad Jacob. What did his daddy give him to show his love, a coat of many colors! What did his brothers get? Jealous!  Joseph went from,” Bragging Brother” to the man with the most Brotherly Love. God doesn’t always change our circumstance but truly he changes our hearts along the way.  He never departed from Joseph whether He was at the right hand of the King or given an unjust jail sentence.  You might say that, “In this world we have much tribulation but our God delivers us out of it all.”  Joseph lived out that scripture. God raised him up to be the right hand man to the Pharaoh, where he was able to provide for his family during the famine. God put him in the right place at the right time, with a small detour by way of a prison cell.  Joseph was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a plan for Joseph’s life.

Jonah was a prophet. When God spoke His word to Him, Jonah thought that he had a better plan than God. Where did it get him? He found himself in the belly of a fish. I think Jonah would attest to the fact that it was not a “whale of a good time.” Ask him when you get to heaven how it feels to be spewed out of the mouth of a whale. Jonah had a change of heart, and then obeyed God. When Jonah spoke to the people of Nineveh they listened and repented. Then God had a change of heart too. He did not destroy the people of Nineveh. Jonah was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a plan for his life.

Joseph was a gentle giant of a man. He was called to be the foster father of Jesus, God’s son. His role was to protect, provide and be the head of the Holy family. He was Mary’s husband in every way accept, physically.  Mary was a virgin. Joseph had the fruit of self-control. God chose a man who could parent His Son on this earth. Joseph proved trust worthy. Joseph was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had purpose for Joseph’s life.

Peter, although he walked and talked with Jesus daily, when his friend Jesus needed him most, Peter ran away. Yet, Peter went from being a disciple who was too afraid to stand alone for Jesus to being the first Pope. His name was changed from Simon to Peter to Peter the Rock.  It was upon that rock that God built our church, the one, holy, apostolic, Catholic Church. He may have run away in the early days but the Rock was a firm foundation which holds true to the faith until this day. God was faithful even when Peter was not. Peter was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a purpose for Peter’s life.

God had a plan for each woman in the Bible too.

Hannah, while barren, wept from the depth of her soul for a child. Her prayer was answered. She birthed a bouncing baby boy named Samuel. God fulfilled her heart’s desire but her prayer answer came at a price. Once Hannah weaned her son Samuel, she gave him back to God as she promised. Samuel was to be a great prophet and priest. Samuel was raised by the priest Eli, who also taught him the faith. Hannah’s sacrifice, of giving her son back to God, won souls to the kingdom of God.  Hannah was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a purpose for Hannah’s life.

Mary’s “Yes,” of surrender to God opened her womb to house the Savior of the world. His birth brought forth God’s plan for redemption. His death brought us life. What life will your surrendered, “Yes,” bring to this world? Mary was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a purpose for Mary’s life.

Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin though old in years, brought a young man into the world named John. He became the fore runner of the birth of Christ. His message became the Lenten message for all times. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Elizabeth was fearfully and wonderfully made! God had a purpose for her life.

Was there purpose to the lives of these bible characters? Yes, definitely yes. There was purpose, meaning and there was abundant fruit in each of their lives. The purpose unfolded as they came to know, love and serve God. There is purpose to each of our lives too. It is worth the prayer, effort and surrender needed to get to know God for ourselves. This is “Good News!”

What purpose does God have for your life?  Do you know or are you still prayerfully seeking God’s plan for your life? He has one that I can assure you.  He wants to reveal it to you. “No eye has seen. No ear has heard, all that God has in store for those who love Him!”

Discovering your God given gifts as well your natural gifts will aid you in discovering God’s purpose for your life.  Be assured your purpose will fit your gifts, your talents and your personality. Knowing your purpose and working with the Holy Spirit to live out the purpose He reveals to you, will bring you the greatest joy and bear the most abundant fruit. I do not know many people in the parish, but truly Deacon Hookness and his wife have found God’s purpose for their lives. They walk in God’s plan for their lives. Their lives count; remember, so do yours! Our God’s love is so great that He loves you all best!

The purpose for your life may be as simple as raising godly children. Who knows, right now you could be raising a priest, a nun or perhaps a Saint? Your purpose may be as great as your becoming a Saint, like Blessed Mother Theresa or St. Pope John Paul II. They did not always realize their purpose either. Everyone begins sometime. They begin in prayer, seeking the face of God. This search never ends because God is infinite; so there is always more to know about Him. One thing I can assure you is that, you will never know your purpose unless you begin to seek his face.  You must go into the deep.  Be not afraid to seek God’s face. Scriptures says, “When you seek Him, you will find Him, when you seek Him with your whole heart.” 

This is a promise. The first step begins in humility, by knowing that you do not know all. No one knows all. No matter what stage of maturity you are in your spiritual walk, begin today to open your heart before Him and let Him reveal Himself to you in a new way. Let Him love you. Let Him heal you on the inside. Let Him take up residence in your soul, where He belongs. “He is the vine, we are the branches, apart from Him, and we can do nothing.” “If you abide in me and my word abides in you, you can ask anything and I will do it.”

When we read the about the different people in the Bible, what did they all have in common: the answer, they all sought God with their whole heart. They all became empty vessels and desired God to fill them. They all placed their trust in God alone. All came to a mountain in their lives that they could not move. They all came to a point in their lives where they knew, like St. Teresa of Avila, “God alone suffices.” They believed their faith with all their heart. They knew first hand that God is, and was and is to come. They knew and experienced the words of the song, “How Great Is Our God!!” Their surrender “Yes,” to God changed their lives forever. They continued to live their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then they became an example of God’s love and grace in this world, actively winning souls for the kingdom of God.

 Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Are you there yet?” Have you come to that point in your walk that your heart is crying out, “I need you now Lord?”  Are your hearts crying out with John the Baptist, “More of Jesus, less of me?” Are you lost in the desert, like Moses and the Israelites waiting for the Red Sea to part? Are you wailing in prayer like Hannah for God to give you the desire of your heart, and the wait seems way too long? Are you running away like Peter or are you afraid to go forward like Moses? Have you come face to face with a mountain in your life that you cannot move? OR have you already heard the Lord reveal His plan for your life deep in your heart like He did when the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary? However the plan seems too impossible to ever be fulfilled.

I come to bring, “Good News.” You are right, it is Impossible!  It is impossible to move the mountain, without God, that is. With God all things are possible! When we come to that place where we have discovered the world has nothing that will truly satisfy; when we have the desire to be a “Woman or Man after God’s own Heart,” like David, it is then that God begins to reveal our own hearts to us. We quickly realize how holy He is and how much we need to change.

Mathew had to change careers from a cheating tax collector to a disciple of Christ. Peter had to give up his pride. Paul had to change his religion. Mary had to give up her reputation. What do you have to give up in your life to make room for Christ?

When one enters a Catholic Church, especially if it is the first time, a sense of awe or reverence swept thru many hearts. It was a grace!  As I walked through those gigantic blue doors into our amazing house of God in all its beauty and splendor, I must admit, I felt very small. Like a child standing next to their daddy, my littleness was evident.  Our littleness should always be felt as we enter into the

presence of a very holy all knowing, all good, all powerful God.  We serve a God who is bigger than life itself. Our Heavenly Father created us, each unique. We are, fearfully and wonderfully made for His Divine purpose. It is in His presence that you come to know the real you. His divine purpose for your life is to do a work that no one else can do. Our God loves you, just as much as He loved David. He likes you too.  Your life counts!  You are in this world to make a difference. In this big world, no matter how small you feel, you were created to make a big difference for Christ. You are to touch lives. You are to be the hands and feet of Christ in your own family, in your own neighborhood, in Church.

The quest to know God is a lifelong search. To me it has become my life long goal. The Book of Job contains one of my favorite scriptures. Job, after asking God 20 questions approaches God with total humility saying, “I heard about you from my friends and now I know you for myself.” I bet you’ll thought that all Job got was a lot of pain and suffering and of course the fruit of patience. People often say, “Oh, the patience of Job.  I’d say that our friend Job received something more than the fruit of patience for all His pain and suffering.  You see in the midst of his trial by fire he got to know the living God of the universe first hand. Yes, He knew God for himself.  And, yes, God answered all his questions. God knew the answers. God wrote the book.  God will do that for you too.  So, ask away!

 As we spend time daily with our living Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, we begin to not only know him, but as St. Theresa says, “Know God and then know ourselves as well.” Then we discover our gifts. God is calling us all to be His disciples, just as He did when He walked the earth. He wants to call out your name. He wants to invite you with the words, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers ’of men.” You see the word disciple means learner. Jesus first will train you up and then he will send you out. How does He train you? He trains you up thru His Church, thru His Word and thru His people. God gives us the sacraments to gives us the grace we need to live each day for Him the definition of sacrament is: A sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ to give grace. We are saved by faith working thru grace; it is not of our self but a gift from God. Grace is defined as unmerited favor, that is why we call it amazing grace.

As we receive Jesus daily in the Eucharist we begin to receive the grace we need to live the life he has called us to live. As we study the Word in our quiet time, He will teach us how to live. As we listen to the priest or Deacon preach in the homilies will begin to know how to apply the Scripture readings to our everyday life.  You can be assured that if you will seek him, you will find Him. The more you seek, the more you will find. When I came to the point in my life where I just wanted to know God; I sought harder, prayed harder and frequented the sacraments more often. Then I asked wisdom of wise old Deacon Pat, I said, “Honey, “that is what I call him behind closed doors, “I just want to know God.” I must have appeared a desperate woman because Deacon Pat answered promptly and he always thinks before he speaks. What did Deacon Pat say? He said, “Ellen, you can never know God totally. God is infinite.” “Wow, I’m glad I asked,” I said, I think I was trying to do the impossible.

 When you decide to go deeper with God and there is always deeper, He will reveal more of Himself to you. If you begin the journey in prayer to ask God; “What are my gifts? He will answer you. Jesus will unwrap  those  gifts and then call us to use them for his glory in his church and the world around us. As we receive the sacrament of reconciliation often we are able to empty ourselves of the sins that drag us down. Thru this sacrament we are given the grace to become more like Jesus. As John the Baptist said, “We must decrease so that he can increase in us.”  Paul says the same thing in different words, “I no longer live but Christ lives in me.”  Anyone in the room right there with St. Paul? Are you dead yet? It is tough putting the flesh to death. There is no magic wand. It is a daily choice. You must choose virtue over vice. Remember sometimes we can get so overwhelmed by sin in our lives that we forget that, “He that began a good work in you will complete it until the day of his return. I say, “He changes us within as we spend time with him.” God loves us into wholeness, so as we know him, we discover that he loves us and we in turn learn to love him back.

 So, how do we discover our gifts?  By getting to know him and getting to know his word. Do you want to be used by God in your gifts, ladies and to serve the church?  Now I am going to tell you how God can do that. I love the Mass.  It is so amazing that you can go to Mass day after day and then one day God can show you something that has been there all along, that moment of grace can change your life forever. You will never be the same.  That is what happened to me one day as Fr. Ring raised the cup in adoration.  God spoke to me as if from the Last Supper, “Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to t hem, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”  I in my mind’s eye reflected about that sentence.  Jesus blessed the Bread. Jesus broke the Jesus Bread. Then Jesus poured the Bread out to others.  I began to learn a truth about growth in Christ not a formula but a truth. Jesus does the same thing with His disciples. First Jesus blesses us, breaks us, then pours us out.  Through the proccess if we let Jesus, He fashions us for a purpose. On the road to maturity there is a road to holiness if you chose it. There is no magic wand.  You don’t have to take the road to maturity.  Some won’t even take it. If we surrendering to God daily and choose to grow; God can use us.

When we first come to give our whole heart to God he blesses us.  We walk around with a permanent smile that say Jesus loves me and I love him too.  We secretly think he loves us more than anyone on earth. Then after a long season of grace he begins to call us to a deeper walk of knowing him for ourselves like Job. Many are willing to praise and hail him as read in scripture Matt. 21:9-8. How many are willing to walk with him to Calvary, the walk that leads us to sit at the foot of the Cross with him alone.  He asks if we are willing to let him break us, “unless a seed falls to the ground and dies,” Just like the priest breaks the host at the Mass, did you know women that so many are willing to walk with God in the good times but how many are willing to walk with him in the bad times, the times of trial and suffering.  Just like the marriage covenant teaches us to stick together in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, as we walk toward maturity in the Lord, we learn to take up our Cross and follow him. During the time of suffering we need to be a willing vessel, to be broken like the clay pot, being molded and fired in the crucible of life. We begin to know another side of our God that he is faithful, that he will walk on the water if he has to, to save us.  If our boat is sinking he will carry on his back if he has to bring you to a place of safety. He will hold us in the palm of his hand. We also learn about ourselves, we learn that we are weak, but in our weakness he is strong, that we are human and need not only Him but, we also need the body of Christ. We learn that grace is unmerited favor, not something we earn. We don’t deserve it. We learn that we need Jesus to daily save us from our sin and from ourselves, not one time, but over and over again.  This missions my brothers and sisters in Christ, if you decide to take it, will bring you right to the heart of God.  You will not self-destruct.  I promise that you will learn, “I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me, but apart from you Lord, I can do nothing.” You will learn that “I am nothing and you are everything.”  Then God will pour you out to love and serve the body of Christ, both in the Church and in the fallen world. 

So, do you know your gifts? I can assure you that you all have gifts and God wants to use every one. There is much work to be done! Remember the parable of the talents.  Before I go on I want to say that there are seasons in your walk with Christ in which your gifts will be used for different things.  For example, Pat and I have a large family and for many years we did very little in the Church because we put our whole heart into raising our children (the little church = family). Little did I know that the journey itself would take me into my ministry? I am now on the board for and blog for Elizabeth Ministry International. I also founded Sisters in Christ and Little Pink Dress Ministry. I mainly speak and write. My wrote a book is a bible study just for moms. I just finished writing a Bible Study for teens and tweens called, “Help, and I Want to Be a Godly Girl!”  I love the way God works. He works in the secret of my heart. So, as I daily laid my life down for my family, He was molding me for my ministry.  One thing I always say is, “your passion usually is your ministry.”  Mine is the lost art of motherhood and the vocation of marriage. It is still a worthy vocation. We Catholic wives and Mothers have the opportunity to be a Light to the world of doing it God’s Way.  Our marriages and our families should be Christ centered.  As Pat and I began to serve the Church, we felt more a part of the Church. One of our gifts as a couple is calling people on in their gifts, drawing on their gifts, discerning new gifts, having the welcoming committee plugging new people in. Your gifts are given to bless others.  Don’t bury your gifts or let others bury them.  Present yourself as a living sacrifice for Christ. 

As Christ laid down his life for us in sacrificial love, we too must lay down our life for others in sacrificial love.  To build the kingdom of God here on this earth. Does this sound familiar?  Did you realize that we say this daily in the Lord’s Prayer?  The words are, “God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.”  We need to be grateful, willing to be humble and daily abandon ourselves to God’s spirit.  Go where he wants us to go and do what he wants us to do.  The more you use your gifts, the more God will give you places to use them and they will improve.  There is much work to do in this world to bring light into the darkness.

“Do whatever he tells you.”  Do whatever he tells you had become my theme song. I must admit that, God has slowing my life down, to Holy Spirit speed, where I am able to hear His voice clearer and more frequently.   In my prayer time that day, I thought about how, obeying Mary’s word’s, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2) to the servant, took a lot of faith.  Mary already had the gift of faith. She understood the power of God, after all, had not she carried the Son of God in her womb, and then birthed the miracle Savior of this world, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Jesus was, “Bone of her bone flesh of her flesh” Thankfully, the servants had the faith and the obedience to do just as Mary said. When they approached Jesus, what did he say?  Jesus said, “Fill the jugs with water.”  Then the servants filled them to the brim.

In my bible the word BRIM translates to --to the tippy top--totally full. Then Jesus says, “Draw some out and take it to the head waiter.  Again they obeyed without question.

 I, then, began to contemplate the words of the scriptures. We too have to bring our empty jugs to God each day. We need to fill them with the living water of His word that He directs us to. We need to fill our jugs to the Brim. Then God will change the water into new wine of His Spirit. He will call upon us through out that day to pour out the word that was hidden in our heart to those we encounter.  To do as He tells us and speak as He leads us.  It will bring them new life. It takes faith and humility every day to empty our hearts of sin and flesh.  It takes faith and obedience to feast at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. The Word made flesh.  It takes faith and obedience, to live what we read.  It takes faith and obedience to do what He tells us.  We like the servants have to listen daily for His marching order. We need to pray daily, “Not my will but Thine be done.” To be able to say, “If you want it God, I want it too.”  I have learned many things in my walk with Jesus Christ, but the most important thing I have learned is daily repentance and daily surrender.

Fill me up Lord, so I can pour out.  When God changes the water into wine, the wine is not only good, “It is the best wine.” “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one, but you have kept the good wine until now.”

God says, “Live a life of total surrender to me and to my word. Seek my face daily. Seek my face humbly.  The best wine to quench the thirst of the people, who I have entrusted to you, is yet to come.  As you seek my face fervently, I will, fill you to over flowing.  I will pour into you the words my people need to hear, for the days to come. 

Let us take some time today to prayerfully get to know God a little better, to get to love God a little more fervently, to decide to serve God a little more diligently. Let us set our hearts on the things above. Let us willingly and prayerfully seek His purpose in our lives.  Finally let us make a decision to work with His Holy Spirit daily so as to fulfill His calling on our lives. We are fashioned by God through His grace for a purpose.