The last week I was there, we were talking about the period of time right after Jesus' resurrection when the two disciples were walking along the road to Emmaus. Jesus was walking with them but they were blinded and couldn't see that it was Jesus. The disciples urged this "stranger" to stay with them for the evening. While Jesus was at the table with them, he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. As soon as the bread was broken, their eyes were opened and they recognized that it was Jesus who had been walking with them all along. My friend Debi pointed out that we are much the same way. When the "breaking" happens, we tend to see Jesus a little more clearly. Perhaps we seek Him out more in the hard times. We want to draw near to Him because we know Jesus is our only hope. You know...only she said it much better than that :).
This concept of breaking bread reminded me of a sermon I had heard from Robert Morris. He was talking about the famous story of the five loaves and the two fishes. He pointed out that when Jesus was handed those five loaves, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. It was in the breaking that not enough became more than enough. When I first heard this sermon, I was just getting ready for my spine surgery. I had been notified that I wouldn't have a job when I returned from surgery. We had recently made the decision to put our dog to sleep. I wrote in my journal, "What in the world is our mighty God going to do with all of the breaking that is happening in my life? Just like the little boy who gave up his lunch, I want to willingly offer the little I have so that God can break it and multiply it for the good of His people."
In John 6:12, Jesus said, "...Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." That has been my focus. God will not allow one thing that I have gone through to be wasted. He will use every ounce of it, as long as I surrender it to Him. I can't hold on to the broken pieces and refuse to give them back. I can't hold on to that little piece of bitterness, or those many crumbs of anger that I felt during the breaking. I can't hold on to the big chunks of would've, could've, should've beens. I have to hand every single bit of it back to the one who allowed the breaking. If I don't give it back to Him, it was wasted.
I know quite a few people in my life who are experiencing some "breaking" in their lives. Allow that breaking to open your eyes to the fact that Jesus has been walking beside you all along..and He still is..and He always will. Allow God to use the breaking to turn not enough, into more than enough. Surrender the broken pieces. Let nothing that you are going through be wasted.
And since I'm me, and ya'll know how I am, a song keeps coming to mind. "Nothing is Wasted" by Jason Gray. You can listen to it here. While I'm at it, he has a new Album that just came out called "Where The Light Gets In". There are no words for how much I love this album including the title track, "The Wound Is Where the Light Gets In". Good Good stuff!!
This is really good! I love the out look Debi had...so true! Goes back to the silver smith...and the making of a diamond...good stuff! I had never focused into the "nothing wasted"....wow! What a great perspective....I thought of Ruth in the field...gleaning from what the men had left behind. She was in pieces but trusted God to provide in that field. Gods good! <3
ReplyDeleteI heard a preacher say that if David had not fought and killed Goliath, Goliath's sword wouldn't have been there later, when David needed a weapon. God uses our brokenness and our struggles to equip us for later events in our lives. Nothing is wasted, indeed. Good stuff the second time around, too, friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these words. Today was a good day to read them. Before you posted this I was just thinking that my frustrations today were not wasted because God used that frustration to facilitate a healthy conversation with a loved one where we both felt heard.
ReplyDeleteI. Love. This.
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