A little boy taught me how to be the mom God wants me to be.  One day this little boy went to hear a man named of Jesus.  In fact this little boy was one of several thousand people who went to hear Jesus.  And of the 5000+ people who went to hear him, he was the only one who gave his lunch to feed the crowd.

There were over 5000 people in the crowd.  Some speculate 20 to 25 thousand.  Either way, there were ALOT of people.  They were tired and hungry from a day of listening to Jesus.  They were in  a remote area, and there was no food to eat.

Except, the little boy’s lunch.

That hardly seems like enough to feed 5 people, much less 5000+. And yet, Jesus told his disciples to give Him the little boy’s lunch.  Evidently, the little boy offered up his lunch.  Thankfully, he wasn’t like me.  I would’ve been scarfing  down my meal so I wouldn’t have to share.

Jesus thanked His Father for 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.

Think about it.  5000+ people to feed, and Jesus was thanking the Father for what had been provided for this crowd.  Imagine sitting down for dinner, and having one saltine cracker and one sardine for your family to share.  Would you thank the Father for providing this scrumptious meal? I can tell you that I wouldn’t!  I’d be crying and complaining that we don’t have more, and how could He forsake His children and so forth.

Anyway…

Jesus said, “Thank you”. He blessed the meal.  He saw the meal as the Father’s perfection provision.  Not only to feed hungry tummies.  But to provide a much needed lesson for his disciples. God is ALWAYS up to something BIGGER and BETTER  than what we have in mind.

The story goes on to say that after all was said and done, every person ate and was satisfied.  How?  God miraculously multiplied the little boy’s lunch leaving 12 baskets leftover.  One for each of the 12 disciples.

I guess the Father actually did provide enough!  Actually, more than enough!

For me as a mom, I have to be willing to be like that little boy.  I have to give up my little lunch, so that many will be filled–including me.  The disciples mocked the boy’s lunch, saying that it was nothing compared to the immensity of the need.  There was no use even mentioning the lunch really.  Perhaps they only mentioned the lunch to Jesus, just to prove to Jesus that they couldn’t feed the people.

Have you ever done that?

Have you ever explained to Jesus why your child needs are far too much for you?  Have you explained how big their needs are and how there are great schools, programs and people who are much better qualified to meet your child’s needs?  Have you looked at friends, neighbors or strangers and felt that your child would be much better off with someone like them.  But not you.   You feel like you just don’t have what it takes.

And Jesus replies with all sincerity, “What DO you have?”  He’s not interested in what you don’t have.  He’s interested in what you do have.

Give what you have.

Thank Him for the little you have, rather than grumbling and complaining that you don’t have more.  Or Wishing that you could be more like someone else.  Stop beating yourself up.

Our Heavenly Father knows what your children need.  He knows you’re inadequate to satisfy the need–on your own.  But He’s placed a seed within you–the beginnings of a mighty oak that will bring blessing to not only your family but to many others as well.

A seed in your hand, doesn’t do much, does it? It certainly doesn’t look like much, but we all know that within a seed is much more.

A seed planted in fertile, well-maintained soil reaps  a great harvest.

Plant your seed.  In other words, give what you have to your children and pray that the Lord of the harvest will bring rain, and the right conditions for your seed to flourish, and grow.

Jesus specializes in taking our small, inadequate offerings and doing something miraculous with it.  He causes it to fully satisfy the need–with leftovers so that we can give even more the next time.

And each time we give, we get to be apart of something miraculous.  We become the means by which God displays His miraculous power and unfailing love.  The God of the impossible makes all things possible!

Will you give your little lunch today?  I’d love to hear how God miraculously intervenes in your life as you give what you have today.