Just When You Think It’s Over

Have you ever been in a situation where you know that you have done everything you were supposed to do humanly speaking but nothing is changing? You did all the right thing, made all the necessary preparations, followed the rules without missing out anything and then suddenly life happened, trying to make a fool of you. What do you do at such times?

In John chapter 2, we saw a similar situation.  Jesus went for a wedding along with his mother and the disciples. As the wedding continued, suddenly, there was no more wine

Now, if wine finishes at a wedding, I would have thought that the reasonable thing to do is to buy some more. That shouldn’t be a problem, should it?

We can easily think like that as Nigerians but when you understand the Jewish wedding tradition, it changes your perspective about the nature of this problem entirely.

For starters, Jewish weddings typically last about 1-2 weeks. They don’t hold multiple weddings like us, where you can have 50 weddings in one Saturday. No. The reason for this is that if you’re getting married, you would have bought all the wines available so that people can have wine to drink for those two weeks

So, if you’re out of wine at your wedding you now know the implication that now right? It means there’s nowhere to get more wine because all the available wine was at your party in the first place. So, the problem wasn’t about the money to buy wine, it was that even if you have the money, there’s no wine to buy. This is why Mary was introducing Jesus to the problem. The truth is, at that moment in the couple’s life, their money can’t help them, only a miracle can save them from that shame

Sometimes in our lives, we can find ourselves in situations like this couple, when you have done everything necessary. You read through the entire syllabus for the exam but the grade was just not favorable. You acquired all the needed skills and did your best at the interviews but the job won’t just come your way. God knows you really tried, yet nothing happened and like this couple, you’re wondering and you’re asking ‘What  could I have done, that I never did?’ You’re at a point that if God doesn’t help you, you’re finished but this morning, you will see Jesus on your matter in Jesus name.

Sometimes in 2014, I was like this couple too. During my master’s degree program, I had a paper for 10 am-12Noon, but I looked at the time table wrongly and thought it was 12Noon-2 pm. I was at the library from 8 am and was doing final reading till 11:30 when I came back to the exam hall thinking I’m 30 minutes early.

Lo and behold, I was 1 hour, 30 minutes late. 15 minutes later I saw people coming out and I asked them if they’re ready for the exam….long story short, I rushed in 15 minutes to the end of the paper, I wrote a 2-hour paper in 20 minutes, the invigilator gave me extra 5 minutes after she had persuaded me to just resit the paper and I told her I’ll rather take my chance.

I went home sad that day knowing I’m 95% likely to fail that paper, not because I didn’t prepare but somehow things happened that was absolutely beyond my control. As I pray God said to me, I want to show you my miracle. Long story short, when the result came out, I had a B and graduated the best student in the department.

My point is, sometimes after you have done everything necessary but life still happens and sometimes may want to make you look stupid. Sometimes you’re even too discouraged to try again or stand up when you fall because you’re thinking to yourself ‘what can I possibly do differently that I’ve not tried before?’ In such a moment, just look up to Jesus. He will finish and perfect your faith, like the couple at Cana in Galilee, you’ll look unto him, your face will be lightened and you will not be put to shame in Jesus name.

Have a lovely week ahead