Joy in ChaosShembull

2020 was a hard year for many. People lost jobs, some lost loved ones, and all of us grieved numerous celebrations, whether big or small. One morning, less than a week from my daughter’s at-home, Covid-19 wedding, I wondered how many blessings went unnoticed. Tender acts our Savior quietly showered upon us, out of love. It was easy to focus on the disappointments: The fact that my daughter would be saying her vows in our backyard beneath a homemade altar. Or that we had to decrease our guest list so severely, or that our living room replaced the venue chosen after days of touring. 

But then, through an account of an ancient wedding, God reminded me He always rains love upon His beloved; His blessings always abound. Whether we recognize this or not. But oh, the joy for those who, with an ever-attentive and expectant heart, see His love. 

It was the first miracle Christ performed. Mere days after He’d been baptized and gathered His first disciples, Jesus attended an ancient Jewish wedding. These were some of the biggest and most important celebrations in the ancient world, filled with tradition and societal expectations. And amid all the joy and dancing and feasting, the wine ran out. 

This may seem like merely an inconvenience, but in the first century, this would’ve incurred public shame, a social disgrace that would’ve followed the wedding couple for the rest of their lives. 

And so, Jesus stepped in and told the servants to fill six massive jars with water, and they obeyed. The result? Everyone received high-quality wine, likely without the bride and groom ever knowing they’d nearly ran out. 

As I read this account of this quiet, unassuming miracle that Jesus performed—His first—I’m encouraged to praise my loving and attentive Savior for all the hidden blessings I receive each day, many I’m likely unaware of. 

~ Jennifer Slattery