Day 164: Trusting Patiently

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  John 11:40

Don't we all need to remember this message more?

It is so easy for us to turn to fear whenever things in our lives get tough.  When we are out of a job, or if we are facing some conflicts with our families or friends, we might try to go straight to stressing out about the situation and fearing for the future.  Rather than comforting ourselves, our response only serves to harm us more.  We end up turning away from our faith and even downright cursing God whenever we start to rely on fear.

I'm certain that we all enjoy having instant results for everything we do (just look at where our feats of technology have brought us in that regard).  However, when we live our lives with such a fast pace, we start to think that everything should be moving quickly; or, conversely, we think that things that take time are faulty.  Just taking a look at practically any passage from the books of Samuel, Kings, or Chronicles will show how the nations of Israel and Judah were struggling with that.  When things didn't go quickly for them, they turned away from God and went to other idols.  In the same way, we will start to turn to idols.  We will start to throw money at our problems as if that will save us.

But Jesus has told us time and again, if you would believe you would see the glory of God.  How many times have there been miracles in your life?  I can count so many.  I was born into a family that supports me in all my endeavors.  My family loves me for who I am.  I have great friends in my life.  I have been supported throughout my school and as I transition into having a full-time job.  God has provided so much for me, and I witness God's glory in every aspect of my life.  When I start to fear or turn away, it is because I no longer want to see God in every situation.  Rather than trusting in God, I would rather trust in other things.  But God is the only one who will set things straight in my life.  When we believe, we see the glory of God all over our lives.

My Lady, My Mother

Ὅ τι ἂν λέγῃ ὑμῖν ποιήσατε
"Whatever he says to you, do it."
John 2:5

This message must be pretty interesting to hear, considering that the final phrase is now a meme or a slogan, whichever you choose.  And yet, it has been with us for nearly two thousand years.  What have we learned?
Today, we have many churches, many faithful people, and many services.  However, are we still fulfilling this command?
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior."
These are the start of a hymn of praise that Mary says before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the gospels, Mary appears in some significant moments in her son's life, such as his birth, his first miracle, and at the foot of his cross.  These are a longstanding example of a great mother, one who loves her son before all else.
The Virgin reminds me of my mother, especially after seeing that she was present at most of the significant events in her son's life; for my mom has been at all of the significant events of my life.  She sings, just as Mary does, and she loves me very much, both through all the good and bad.  Alongside being a great mother, she is also someone who has pointed me to God.
My mom's greatest message and advice to me is, "Get on your knees and pray."  She always points me to God, just as Mary does in the Gospels.  When there was a shortage of wine in a wedding feast, she states the solution: Whatever he says to you, do it.
After seeing these parallels, I can only imagine what a great mother Mary was to Jesus, especially after witnessing throughout my whole life the great mothering from my Mama.  Mary must have sung to him many things, and she must have done so much for him throughout his childhood, just as my Mama has.  She was there with him throughout times of great glory, such as the miracle at the wedding feast, and times of sadness (which approaches embarrassment), the crucifixion.
I intentionally chose to have an ambiguous title with this.  In one sense, Mary, my lady, is my mother.  She has shown a life as an example of pure love and devotion in Christ.  In another sense, there are two women in this post, my lady, Mary, and my mother, Sandra Montes.  And, in yet another, I have my lady and mother, who has never left my side, always leading me to Jesus, just as the Holy, Blessed Virgin Mary does.

God's Authority

"For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come."  (Luke 4:36)
To whom do we give the authority in our lives?  Do we give it to money? To our boss? To the stars on the top 40 list? To Ru Paul?
Sometimes we can forget the simplicity of God's message.  God's love for us is manifested in Jesus Christ.  And yet, we like to complicate things by putting other things before God in our lives.  Why do we give more power to a song on iTunes than to the One who can save us from all of our sin, our sadness, or our loneliness?  When we take a step back, just as the Jews did before Jesus, we can witness the grandeur of God and all that God does for us.

To God be the Glory

The gospel reading for today is about John preparing his followers for Jesus.  Even though many suspected and believed in some sort of divinity in John, he made sure to explain that, "One who is more powerful than I is coming." (Luke 3:16) John's humility is a message for us today.  It teaches us to give God the glory. Does someone compliment you on being happy all the time? On being very talented? On having a good life? Tell that person about God.  Faith in God brings joy to our lives.  That joy is what we need to live through every day, regardless of any threat or persecution.