“God, I have been afraid of the words ‘blessed’ and ‘success.’ And not only the words… I have been afraid of the thing itself! I have demeaned ‘prosperity,’ ‘affluence,’ ‘abundance,’ and ‘victory’ by crediting you with bringing pain and sorrow as discipline in my life. Yes, you use these sorrows, but your intent, your end is joy! I have not believed you want to bring me joy. Sadly, this is what I think of you. And as one of my wise teachers has said, ‘What I think of you first each morning is the most important thing about me.’ Forgive me – my first thought of you is often ‘austerity.’

Jesus, I read today of your miracle at Cana, when you changed water to wine. I know there are deep symbols in this story: the water, the wine, the wedding… these are all profound pictures of things I little understand. But the simple truth in this story is that you, God of gods, creator and sustainer of all things cared about a little celebration in a little out of the way village. You care enough to make very good wine out of ordinary water, to keep the party going, with abundance! This is the very first stroke of your ministry on earth, and you go over the top. You come to their feast and bring ‘life to the fullest.’

Come to my house, Jesus and turn water into your best aged wine! Take what is ordinary and common and make it extraordinary, the very richest and most choice life you can imagine. I give you charge to do this. I say, ‘I will do whatever you say…’ and in that I fully expect you to deliver, to take the common pots in my common life and to make precious treasures in them, a life full of unimaginable richness. Take my relationships and make them a taste of heaven. Take my finances and make them abound. Take my body and let your resurrection life flow into all my cells.

Abundance is your nature, Jesus. Express this aspect of yourself in my life!”