This was no ordinary day, the events that were about to unfold before the people at the wedding at Cana would be remembered for centuries. Something as simple as the wine running out at that festive occasion would herald a new day, a new beginning, the announcement that a Kingdom had come to us in ways that were not easily comprehensible. Mary the mother of Jesus seemed to be the first to notice that the wine had run out when she brought it to her son’s attention. Many a crisis has been averted, many a life has been saved and many families are in health today due to the perception and actions of a woman who believed enough to know that she had somewhere to turn when a problem arose.

The role of women in today’s society is of vital importance. The hands and feet ministry into our communities is carried out with a great sense of mission and assignment; we have an active part to play in expressing the love of God to people everywhere that they may come into a vibrant and eternal relationship with their heavenly Father. Our ability to feel, touch, nurture, and notice the needs within our communities – whether it be feeding the hungry, caring for the sick or standing in faith with someone who needs a friend – is just a tiny expression of the part a woman plays in our cities and regions. The God given ability to multi task gives us opportunities to put our hands to many ventures at one time.

The Great Commission is forever upon us as we carry the revelation of the plan that God has for every man, woman, and child. We were all made in the image and likeness of God, seeded within us all is the intention and dream that God Himself has for us. The sole purpose of us ministering into schools with religious education, our presence in universities, building relationships with neighbors, and access into prisons is so that humans might discover that there is indeed a God in heaven who loves them and He has a plan for life that is worth living.

We serve a generational God. I believe that women particularly carry a deep conviction and understanding of the power of this generational God and the importance of what we believe, what we stand for, and the mission in our lives that needs to be imparted to the next generation so that nothing is lost with time but is built upon from one generation to the next. With every new generation, the passion for the reality of God should deepen and grow and never decline or diminish. What a privilege and opportunity that is upon us to influence people of all ages that the impact of the Gospel be lived with eternal significance.

The faith of a woman and the way she carries herself in her home will have the greatest impact upon her children. I particularly gravitate to Proverbs 31:27 that beautifully expresses how a woman “watches over the affairs of her household.” To me this is far more than just the manual and practical needs of her family that she takes care of. I see this as a woman who watches diligently over the direction her children are taking. She believes so intensely in the destiny of God upon each of those in her household that she watches, invests, trains, and prays over them so that they discover the ordained path that God has ordered for each and every household member.

I believe that because of the eternal responsibility that is upon us, we waste no opportunity to sow, equip or disciple another so that destinies might be claimed. I love the capacity upon women to partner well with both the spiritual and the natural that make up our daily lives.

The Gospel of John chapter 2 gives us this outstanding record of far more than water being changed to wine. The message is deep, the message is one of hope that we too can see the watery places of our lives turned into wine.

My husband came from a non Christian background; attendance at church was only for funerals and weddings. I however did grow up with the familiarity of attending a traditional style church which helped form some early beliefs and convictions. I would love to testify that I transitioned well through the teenage years without falling by the wayside but unfortunately that was not the case. An awareness of eternity and the grounding I had received seemed a long way off as it was overshadowed by other things that seemed more attractive at that time. In our lives it was two people who were instrumental in seeing the pattern and habits of a destructive lifestyle change. They saw how lost we were, and they faithfully and diligently began to pray for us, knocking on heaven’s doors for their friends. Two people who believed in us enough to call on God to come into an awareness of Him, a God who had a future and a hope that belonged to us, a God in heaven who so deeply loved and believed in us more than we believed in ourselves.

The host at that wedding was pivotal; he noticed that the water had changed into wine. He had no explanation or understanding how such a thing could have transpired. All he knew was that at one moment there was nothing to offer the guests other than water and now there was the finest quality wine for those who were there.

Like the host at that wedding, we too experienced a miracle one Saturday afternoon in our home as we said those life altering words and asked Jesus to come into our lives. We didn’t know what had happened but something had changed. Within hours of praying we were sitting in church. Within three weeks of our decision, the addiction of generational alcohol was broken off in my husband’s life. Within a month, we were baptised in water and within three months, we would encounter the Holy Spirit in indescribable ways. Something had changed, the watery places of our lives had become new. The mess of the past had now become a message that we take everywhere we go. The changing of lives is still His speciality, what seems to be out of reach today is tomorrow’s possibility.

The miracle at the wedding that day was our glimpse into the possibilities of a greater future for those who are willing to taste and see that the Lord is good and ready to show Himself to you in ways that are nothing short of miraculous. Our lives now are blessed as we see the hungry fed and orphans who are finding hope as they are experiencing the benefits of family. Lives continue to be transformed and miracles continue in everyday lives. His message is timeless; His word is unfailing as water continues to be turned into wine.

Today I am so blessed to be a woman who continues to speak into a future that is worth more than I can find words for. My hope is that you too will not miss your day of opportunity, it is simply too good to miss. I carry a revelation of the power of family, the church that is God’s representation upon the earth to demonstrate His purpose and love to anyone who will receive it. Our faith and spirituality need to be seen inside the house and outside the house, in private as well as public. Who we are and whom we represent is a message we take with us wherever we go.

I pray, worship, and surrender my life not because I have to but because I am so utterly convinced that what He has so graciously done for us, He is ready, willing, and more than able to do for others.

Anne, along with her husband, Byron, are the Senior Pastors of Highway Christian Church, Gold Coast, Australia and have been for the past 15 years. Anne has a heart to see families united and serving together, to see the lost saved and the broken made whole. The last two years have been a journey of trust, surrender, and the unknown as her husband was diagnosed, treated, and healed of stage four cancer. Today Anne continues to serve the Lord as she travels the nation as the Director of Queensland Christian Women. Anne is passionate about seeing women empowered by the Word and through prayer.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.