Have you ever reached into a bush to cut a rose and found yourself clutched by a thorn.
Ouch!
We sought to capture the beauty of a rose in our hands and found the pain of the thorn.
I had to smile at this thought.
Suddenly, I heard waves hitting the shore, and I smelt the salt of the lake and the fish that were caught and being hauled to the shore.
In the distance, men were working on a boat, mending nets and cleaning fish.
They talked among themselves.
In the distance they saw a man walking towards them.
They knew Him and greeted Him with joy.
Jesus smiled and greeted them.
"God bless you. I hope your catch was good." Simon answered, "More than enough for the week!"
Simon and his brother looked at each other. Their father heard the exchange and came over from the boat. He was ready to yell and keep them working, then Jesus smiled at him.
He said to his sons, "Come. Follow Me, and I'll make you fishers of men."
Simon and his brother looked at each other. They dropped the nets they were holding leaving their father at the edge of the lake staring at them.
They left with the Master who said to them.
"Come. We're going to a wedding first." He knew what they were thinking as they walked. "You can bathe in the waters before we reach the wedding."
They simply nodded and followed Jesus.
Jesus began to teach them. He started to tell them about the Love of the Father for them. They only looked at each other. They knew they had to follow Him
They had no idea of how long it took to reach the wedding. They were enraptured with what Jesus said, but they were also confused. Jesus was telling them to love their enemies.
Simon quipped, "I think our father is upset. Do we have to love him when he's upset?"
Jesus smiled. "What do you think?"
The wedding feast was going on when they arrived. The food smelled amazing, and they were all hungry. The Mother of Jesus greeted them at the wedding. She had them sit down in a quiet place, away from the crowd, so they could eat. She brought them bread, grapes, cheese, olives and some water. There was no wine.
Simon saw a glint in the eye of Jesus as Mary came over to Him. She said to Jesus, "They have no wine." Jesus smiled in spite of himself. "What am i supposed to do, Woman? My time has not yet come."
Simon gasped slightly at this. He wasn't sure he'd have had the courage to say this to his mother.
Mary just smiled and turned to the waiters. She said, "Do whatever He tells you."
Jesus smiled and shook His head slightly. They realized He could not say no to His Mother.
The air was hot, and they were wishing for some wine. They could only watch in awe as the servants worked hard to fill the six huge jars with water. When they finished, they returned to Jesus. He smiled at His Mother. He looked at Simon and his brother.
Quietly Jesus said, "Take the wine to the head waiter to taste. " Then Jesus reached out to His mother. She held His hand. "Thank You," she whispered quietly.
There was a bit of stirring as the head waiter pulled the groom back to the area where Jesus was.
He was scolding the groom. "Most people serve the good wine at the start of the party, but you have saved the best for last." The groom simply didn't know what to say. He tasted the wine, and he smiled. Then he ran back to the party. The waiter had had enough. He had the servants take the jars to the guests and begin to serve them.
Mary brought Jesus and His friends some wine. Simon almost choked because he had never tasted such good wine.
The servants, knowing what had happened, came back to Jesus and began to worship Him.
Jesus blessed the servants, and He sent them to serve the guests. He cautioned them to be quiet about what they had seen.
Simon could not believe what he had seen, but he knew his life would be forever tied into the life of Jesus.
