Have you ever wondered if you made a difference, a real difference?
1:28 PM
“Hurry mom! I don’t want to be late.”
Excitement and worry
filled the air. This was the day he had
dreamt of for weeks. Rumors spread like
wildfire, and this was his chance to see, really see for himself. Eagerly he packed his bag and rushed out the
door. Forgetting all about the
breadbasket, filled with two fish and five barley loaves, his mothered chased
after him.
“You almost forgot your
lunch. Now make sure you remember to
give thanks, sit quietly, and listen with all your heart. I want to know everything this Messiah has to
say.”
Moist lips pressed against his
dusty cheeks and left an imprint of her love.
“I hope I packed enough.
I hope he doesn’t get lost. I
hope this Messiah is the Christ.” She
held her breath and watched as her only son drifted out of sight. Exhausted from a laborious morning she
hurried back in side. Feelings of
insignificance filled her heart, as she began cleaning the clay pots. Wiping sweat from her brow she bent low and
whispered a prayer.
“Lord, our people are in need of a savior. We have heard prophecies for years now, of a
coming King, one who will save us. If we
have found favor in your sight would you come and make known to us this Christ,
our fathers have told us of? Please
protect my oldest has he leaves to search out the mysteries he’s heard of. Open his ears so he may hear truth, and his
heart to receive grace from the heavens.
May his eyes behold the Anointed One, chasing doubt out of his
heart. Please, oh please send provision
for our house, I didn’t want to tell him that was our last bit of barley and
fish for fear he would not go. If he’d
known he would’ve gone out to fish instead of seeking out truth. I’m trusting you today committing my house,
son, and all I have into your hands.”
Are you there yet? I
can see the scene playing out in my head.
I can only imagine this mom is weary, fearful, and tired. Perhaps you are the same as this mother. Exhausted, clinging to a whisper, holding
tightly to a promise you are not sure will come to pass as you hold your breath
and say a prayer. You work day and night
feverishly without complaint and wonder, “will it be enough? Does it even really matter, no one even see me or know how hard I work.”
The sweltering sun was dropping quickly and still no sign of
her son. Dusk clothed the sky with gray
blankets of clouds, and worry began to fill her heart. “I knew I shouldn’t have let him go alone.”
Rubbing dirt from her eyes, tears filled her eyelids. Bewilderment flooded her heart as she hurried
out the door. Dust trailed behind her as
she approached what looked like twelve men carrying large baskets. Dropping his breadbasket, her son sprinted to
her, shouting, “He’s real, he’s real, he’s real!”
Confused, excited, relieved and filled from head to toe with
wonder she welcomed the men into her home.
Their voices heightened, each trying to talk over the other, and
laughter filled the air as they told of the miracle which had taken place, all
because she packed her son a lunch.
I know you are tired.
I know you are full of doubt. I
know you contemplate whether or not your menial task mean anything at
all. I know for sure I struggle with these same emotions. But I will never forget the day
Holy Spirit revealed to my weary heart the star role of this story. I had been asking these same questions, with tears in my eyes when he showed me this story. I have heard this story hundreds of times,
listened intently to sermons chalk full of insight, but I had never given any thought
to the hidden character, the mom.
See mom I know you feel forgotten, I know you feel left out
at times, I know you feel like nothing you do (laundry, prepping lunches,
mopping, filing files at the office, offering taxi services to friends, staying
up late working on projects, and deadlines) really matters, or that you even
matter. BUT she mattered. She prepared a small lunch for her son that
day and sent him on his way to find truth.
Believing and begging he’d find truth for himself and her.
Preparing a lunch is as important as preaching a sermon,
writing a book, leading volunteers, traveling the world, and countless other
prestigious things you can think of. She
prepared the provision for a miracle that morning. Now I don’t know for sure they brought all of
the leftovers back to her home, just like I don’t know for sure she sent her
son with the last little bit they had, but I do know no matter how small the
sacrifice or large he will multiply it to meet your needs. I’d like to believe they did bring the leftovers
to her home that evening. Because
wouldn’t that be just like Jesus to return back to her a hundred fold of what
she had sown?
Maybe you have a story of miraculous provision in your life
I’d love to hear it, would you share with me a day He turned your small
offering into a great story of how he can use anything to feed starving
souls.
Perhaps you have a story of errand running ending up in a day of salvation for a hungry soul, or how filing
charts at the dentist office gave way to sharing gospel with a stranger. I’d love to hear how he used your “fish and
bread” to feed someone.
5 comments
What a beautiful story--and I'd never thought about it from the mother's point of view! God used a little fledgeling that got into my garage to delay me so that when I went grocery shopping I arrived at the right time to help a little waif that was wandering down the sidewalk alone.
ReplyDeleteLove this Laura! It is absolutely stunning! God has a way of using just a little to make a ton. I think it is so easy for us to forget that.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! God has been encouraging me about the significance of what I do everyday in my parenting too. In fact it is even the topic at MOPS today.
ReplyDeleteI sense a novel in this story. I love it. We are moms and we don't know the impact we have on eternity for our children. Our children don't know the impact they will have either. Such a wonderful tale of love and provision. Thanks for blessing us with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post!!!!
ReplyDelete