There is a well-known Bible story about Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding – see John 2:1-12. It’s commonly thought to be his “first” miracle. (Really? First? Did you read the 1,797 pages before? Anyway… that’s not the point for today.)

If you read the previous blog post, then you know my current struggle with how to move along the new-to-us cancer journey as the world, and as life, moves on as usual. How can I be Susan, Dr, Mother, Wife, Friend without the mark of cancer? Or rather, with the mark of cancer?

June-Susan was Mom, Mrs, Dr, Susan. Established. Known.

July-Susan was all of those identities put into a capped Coke bottle with a brain tumor-flavored Mentos and shaken. Exploded. Cracked. A train-wreck for all to see.

By August-Susan, the cancer fizz that had exploded all over us had settled. Less drama, but still sticky.

September-Susan is now still Mom, Mrs, Dr, Susan but messy. Mucky – if that’s even a word.

Ironically, since the diagnosis, some amazing friends have ensured our house is cleaned. When your life feels anything but clean and organized, it’s an indescribable gift to come home to dog-hair-free floors and boy-pee-free toilet seats. Previously, I would have given anything to hide our mess and my failure to keep a perfectly clean house. But now, the help is worth the humility.

The same goes for those friends who are still providing delicious food, generous gifts, favorite songs, encouraging texts, and thoughtful prayers.

So what do the past three months of our messy life have to do with the miracle of water being transformed into wine?

These months have opened my eyes to wonder-full things big and small. (I like to call them miracles.) Many of those things have simply been your perfectly timed encouragements, the Venmo ding with a gas gift card when the tank was coincidentally on E, the energy in the evening that you must have prayed into us, or the smell of your home-cooked BBQ when the hungry kids come downstairs for dinner. They’ve all been extraordinary, water-to-wine-things, to us.

In addition to struggling with how to still be us in the middle of this cancer mess, it has also been a surprising struggle to make sure our appreciation for you is known. We are so grateful. A “thank you” seems insufficient. After all, “thank you” is what you say to the drive-thru barista. What do you say to the people sacrificing their time, money, knowledge, thoughts and prayers for you? to those legitimately loving and serving you?

In the story of Jesus’ miracle, the only ones who the Bible says saw and knew that he miraculously made wine out of water were… the servants. The people serving that day were the witnesses.

So, regardless of how you’ve supported or served our family, my prayer today is that your servant hearts are connected to wide eyes and open minds. May you see and appreciate miracles, like we have. Think of it as heaven saying “thank you” on our behalf especially when our gratitude is insufficient or forgotten.

But really – thanks.

“The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.”

John 2:9