Best for Last
Yes, this is a sign.
Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:
share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.
---
Two Sundays back, I sang at our former parish in Chandler, Arizona. It’s the same church where our son received his sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation, and where I completed a lot of work on my first book (When God Wrecks Your Romance). It’s also where one of my favorite friends, Airam, is the youth minister. The word that stood out to me reminds me of a favorite childhood pastime.
Did you ever go through a phase where you played “best for last,” with everything? When I was little, I would eat all of the crust of my sandwich first, and I’d save the inside of the sandwich until the end. Or, I would wait until the end of some family activity to take my turn, because, best for last! (Hah.)
I always thought of the wedding story of Jesus turning water into wine as another of those, “best for last,” instances. But this time, when the gospel was proclaimed, the verbiage was a bit different than I imagined. The precise line from John 2:10 was, “you have kept the good wine until now.”
You’ve kept the good wine until now. Not the best wine? As I mulled over that phrase, a new meaning emerged. Maybe the blessings that the Lord has in store are so good, that the former blessings will pale in comparison. Blessings that are specific to the need at hand.
As it related to marriage, I was coming from a very difficult week when I heard these readings. (See my previous Word for the Week entry about forgiveness.) So when the gospel of Jesus’ first miracle was proclaimed, I asked the Lord, “Are you speaking this about David and me, right now?”
Though my emotions were jumbled, deep down, I felt assurance that God was going to bless us like never before.
Then, as I exited the church to set up my merchandise table in the courtyard, I saw a piece of white construction paper with black text and clip art taped to the entry of the church office. In all caps, the text read: “Yes, this is the place.” Below the words was printed a black downward arrow. The arrow pointed toward a mail slot.
“I wonder who this sign is for?” As I asked myself the question, it seemed apparent that the sign was strategically placed for someone with mail to deliver. Probably, the messenger would’ve looked at the mail slot but hesitated to use it, without the very blatant, taped-on message.
That’s a fitting image for how God spoke to me last week. All of the Bible readings were about marriage, fidelity, and how God does even more than my idea of “best for last.” And still, I wondered if it was truly the Lord speaking into my actual life. As I approached the Word of God, was I indeed where He wanted me to be?
The signs were clear, “Yes! This is the place!”
___
Special thanks to VIP Patrons:
Dick Safranski
Jordan Mendez
Julian Padilla
Jessica Cook
Kate Hicks
Deacon Tim & Lily Roberto
Carrie Brzezinski
Frances Jones
Elizabeth Herberg
To become an Amanda Vernon Patron and receive a “New Music Every Month,” signup at amandavernon.com/patron.