(If you haven’t read my previous blog Goose Chase: Foundation, It’s the introduction to this blog!)
So, two weeks ago, we had an amazing night of worship where I was instantly ushered into God’s presence! He gave me this vision:
Jesus and I were sitting together, casually, enjoying food at His table in His house! We were inside in the shade, but there were windows that were open and the breeze and sunshine came through in a lovely summer afternoon feel. We were sitting face to face, and He was feeding me grapes! It was a familiar, really sweet, intimate, joyful moment of sitting with my bridegroom. Then, I was reminded of the fruit of the Spirit, and I realized the grapes represented joy. I giggled, and He laughed too. Jesus was feeding me joy! The music began to sing of Jesus’ Kingship, and immediately His Glorious crown appeared above His head. It glistened, and He radiated with Majesty! Then, it sort of floated down off His head to His finger, and He looked at the crown as He casually twirled it around on His finger and sat it down next to Him. He said, “Yes, I am King. But I gladly set it aside so I could share this moment, this intimacy for eternity with you.”
Then, He placed the crown on my head.
Ya, I know right? Too good to be true? Wow. It really is… but it’s SO reality. I’m so in love with Him. Like really, really, in love with Jesus. He’s the most amazing, incredible, outstanding, blow-your-mind brilliant God ever! And He loves me. He gave up His rights as King to come down to earth to redeem the relationship we were created to have from the beginning of time. He fed me Joy, for crying out loud! How cool is that?!?! Then I kind of laughed as I thought of the fact that He’s really been feeding me grapes of joy my whole life. I AM from Modesto, CA after all: wine country. J
So, the goosechase begins: Grapes and wine. I felt the pull to push into this analogy that Jesus so sweetly put before me. What else do you have to say about this, Lord?
Our team decided to study the gospel of John together, and as we began to read John 2 this Thursday, God began to reveal that He had some things to show me about grapes and wine.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” 
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ” Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in Him.
The Holy Spirit spoke VOLUMES to me through this that night. First off, I felt like the whole story was a reflection of my life right now. At this point in my life, I have fallen sweetly into a few amazing moments of God’s touch. Just like Jesus’ birth and childhood years were filled with times of fulfilled prophesy, my life has also had some major God-marking moments. But, just like Jesus, I feel like the Holy Spirit is telling me that the time in my life for me to be revealed in my fullest purpose hasn’t truly begun yet.
I also think the analogy of water turning to wine is a picture of me, too. I feel like I’ve been a jar of water my whole life. I’ve had the thirst-quenching water of life within me for as long as I can remember. I’ve been filled and refilled and overflowing! Now, I feel like Jesus wants to change me into something more. He told me that He’s been feeding me grapes of joy for a LONG time, and that His Ultimate Will for my life is to make me into the best wine!
So, what does that mean? What does that look like? Grapes have to be picked, gathered, crushed, fermented over a long time to become wine, and sit even longer to become the best wine. Does this mean I’ve still got to be crushed? Lord, do I still have a long process to go through still before I can walk in the fullness of all you’ve desired me to be?
Well, let me go back to the story. That wedding feast was NOT the intended time for Christ to be revealed as the Son of God. Jesus even told His sweet mother, “Mom? Remember that my Heavenly Father picked out a later date for my first miracle; this is too soon!” (Nicole’s paraphrase. J )
However, Mary’s heart and faith caused Jesus to act as a miracle worker that evening. Jesus, as the son of man, was acting under the earthly authority of his mother. Her compassion for the wedding party’s family led her to ask God for a miracle. It was considered a HUGE social disgrace if a wedding party couldn’t afford or figure out a way to supply all the wine desired at a wedding banquet. So, out of obedience to her, Jesus chose to also bring His Heavenly Father glory.
God changed His divine timing of revealing Jesus as miracle worker because of Mary’s compassion and faith that Jesus could and would do it.
So, here is God’s word to me:
You ARE the jar, and you HAVE been full of the water of life. You HAVE been filled and have overflowed and have served a quenching purpose in my Kingdom.
But, I have anointed you to become the sweetest, best wine; to not just represent me, but BE ME in this world.
You WILL be made into wine, and I have a path set before you to become this. However, you hold within you the power to change my divine timing. Having a “Mary Heart and Spirit” for my people can alter the divine timing.
Holy Smokes.
I know and believe that this is a huge moment in my life.
Worshipper. Faith that is strong.
Steadfast.
Hope. “My child, claimed, she’s Mine.”
Full of pure genuine, and simple love.
A Mary Heart and Spirit.
Lord, you’ve given me glimpses of You; and You’ve placed your heart in my care. I’m overwhelmed by Your love for me, and I deeply desire to be the sweetest wine you could make, Jesus. Open my mind and heart to dream dreams bigger than I could ever imagine, to find the dream that you have for my life.
I don’t really know that I can do anything but ask You to keep my eyes open to people and situations that need Your love more than anything; and I commit tonight to fight on behalf of them. I commit to ask You, Jesus, to have compassion and to act; and to bring Glory to Our Father in Heaven through Your loving miracles.
