Leftovers
Thanks to all these cooks in the kitchen who pulled a fabulous thanksgiving meal together. Seeing everyone come through the door with their coolers and containers made me thankful for the financial and time sacrifices they made to help us feed this group and still have leftovers.
I finished the last of the turkey and cranberry sauce and my husband devoured the last slice of pecan pie. The 25 degree weather that followed Thanksgiving was ideal for finishing off the homemade vegetable soup with turkey broth I'd made. Having leftovers to graze upon the remainder of the weekend was a blessing.
The leftovers made me think about the feeding of the 5,000.
After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, ‘Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.' John 6:12 (NLT)
I posed this question to myself..."Besides food, what are the leftovers in life?
True confession here...I tend to be a bit of a hoarder when it comes to old toys, games, books and craft items. I worry about running out of money and not being able to give gifts to those I love (thus my stash of yarn, paints, paper and craft supplies) or the collapse of the grid occurring and having lots of books on hand to read for entertainment. My family laughs and some cringe at my stash of toilet paper rolls, beads, buttons, pipe cleaners, pom poms, tape, glue, etc. Several of the grands head to my craft cabinet upon arrival to see what has been added to the pile to enhance their creativity.
All of us have leftover clothing, bedding, furnishings, food, and if we are truly honest time. Would others consider us generous with those things?
So that nothing is wasted keeps playing back. We all know our phones, computers, televisions can be infectious time wasters and intentional tempters.
The most relevant parts of writing Boojoyful for me are what God does in my own heart and the act of accountability to open His Word and to listen to him. Jesus fills me up when I study God's Word and has me distribute the leftovers of those lessons, so that what I have learned does not go to waste. Pass out whatever is in our baskets. We have received so much and have so much to give away. God will keep is full!
What was God's purpose in this fishes and loaves story. John 6:1-15
Remember...
God is in control.
God can take something small and make it great and grow our faith in the process.
God is into multiplication! He calls us to give and to go and make disciples.
God requires us to trust that he will provide.
God requires us to trust he can use our resources for his purposes.
God calls us to live sacrificially.
God is a miracle worker!
The Song
"Jesus at the Center"by Naomi Raine & Maryanne J. George
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