Chicken Soup

"But His mother [Mary the mother of Jesus] told the servants, 'Do whatever He [Jesus] tells you.'"

- St. John, John 2:5

"It's not WHAT'S on the inside that counts… but WHO'S on the inside that counts."

- Anonymous

OK… Today, at the start of a brand new 2022, I have some good old-fashioned Chicken Soup for the Soul from the hearts of two moms. But first… I'm interested in your "take," your summation of last year. A friend said to me last week that 2021 will go down as the "worst" year of his life. "This damnable pandemic," he said, "has changed everything for the worse… and I don't think anything will ever be the same again." He threw up his hands as he…

...mourned the loss of his son's college football scholarship offers...

...mentioned the hit his business had taken due to the chip shortage...

...listed all the social events in his family that were cancelled or altered...

...talked about the sudden death of his dad from covid…

Mask-wearing… vaccine mandates… booster pressure… social distancing… political hostility… government intrusion… personal frustration… emotional stress… and then the coup d'etat… He said, "Man, I'm just not enjoying my life anymore!"

Aren't you glad you tuned in today? (Smile) Like, "Thanks for the 'Pick me up,' Harry!" "Hey… I can do 'discouragement' all by myself!" I know… so can I. But now that we're all on the same page… let me give you some Chicken Soup for the Soul from two moms who can lift us up to see the Son and feel His warmth on the darkest of days.

In John 2, on the greatest day of their lives, a young bride and groom are informed on their wedding day that they have run out of wine. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but on a day when your best dream is coming true, when everyone you know and love has shown up for you, on the day you want everything to be perfect… What?! No more wine? That's a huge deal! Seeing their embarrassment, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, says to the servers, "Do whatever Jesus tells you" (v.5). "Do whatever Jesus tells you."

You know the rest of the story, right? Jesus tells the servers to fill six large clay pots with water and then take a glass of it to the master of ceremonies… "And oh by the way," I think Jesus added, "make sure it's a wine glass!" Ha! ‘Cause the water had been changed into wine! How did that happen? I don't know. I've tried that… the water stays water.

The point is, Jesus is God and He can do whatever He needs to do to turn a bad day into a better day in 2022… if you do whatever He tells you!

The second spoonful of Chicken Soup comes from another mom… she's not Mary, the mother of Jesus… she's Ila, the mother of Harry. Their sons bear a slight resemblance to one another. Ha! Three months ago, after two surgery cancellations due to Covid protocols, my Mom had knee replacement surgery. I asked a fella who had just had his knee replaced how bad the pain was. He said, "It'd be like you giving birth to a baby." I said, "You mean, like my wife giving birth to a baby." He said, "No! The pain is like YOU giving birth to a baby!" Wow! So, I watched the tears roll down Mom's face as she pushed herself to straighten that knee. I saw her grimace as she put weight on that knee for the first time. I heard her wince as she took her first steps with a walker, then a cane, until… now she's walking into 2022 with no pain! I'm so proud of her. And if you asked my Mom, "What's the secret?" - because four months ago, it looked like Mom might not ever have mobility again - "So, what's the secret, Ila?"

I think she would say to you what she said to me when I woke up one morning, years ago… it was the first day of school at Williams Jr High School… I looked in the mirror and… OH NO! I had a zit on my forehead the size of George Washington's head on Mt. Rushmore! "I am NOT going to school looking like this!" I yelled. Mom talked me off the ledge by assuring me she had some stuff (it was concealer) that would take care of it. And then she said this: "Son… never forget that it's what's inside that counts!'

There will be times in our lives when we don't look the way we want or circumstances are not what we'd like… but what's outside is not what determines our disposition in life… It's what's on the inside that counts!"

Two moms… two spoonfuls of Chicken Soup that can transform the worst moments of 2022 into the best year of your life: Do what Jesus tells you to do, and it's what is inside… not outside… It's what's inside that counts!

Especially when the “what” inside is a Who named "Jesus!" Happy New Year!

Pastor Harry

‍