Who's hungry?

I have been going through the book of Matthew during my quiet times. This morning I read Matthew 15: 29-39, when Jesus fed four thousand men and their families with seven loaves of bread and a couple of fish. As always, I was impressed with His compassion for the people and His graciousness in healing the crowds that came to Him. It was a little phrase in verse 32 that really stood out to me, though. "I do not want to send them away hungry."

Thinking about this statement reminded me about something I read in Kathy Troccoli's book Live Like You Mean It. One of her "celebrations of the soul" is to Stay Ripe for the Picking. That is, to be so full of God and His love that other's can recieve His love from you. Picture yourself as a tree bursting with the fruit of God's love, that is ripe and ready to be picked, and everyone around you can benefit because of God's love - alive and well in you!

I considered that statement, "I do not want to send them away hungry," and thought about the people I encounter each day. It may be my kids, my husband, my second grade girls in Sunday School, teachers at my kids' school, moms at a MOPS group, the cashier at Meijer, or a stranger in line at the post office. All of these people are hungry for the love of God, and I don't want to send them away hungry! I want to be so full of the love of God that He is bubbling up and overflowing from me. I want each person I encounter to see Him in me. My prayer is that He'll make me sensitive to the look, touch, or word of compassion that each person needs and that He'll move in me to deliver it.

May I encourage you to consider this statement with your kids, too? As they press in on you - your own small crowd - look to Jesus and know that He can take what you have (even when you don't think it's enough), bless it, and feed them. Tired and weary mother, Jesus can fill you up and use whatever you have to give, so that your children will not be hungry. Rest in Him today!

By the way...I mentioned Kathy Troccoli's book above. Well, she's coming to Trinity Church in Lansing, MI on Feb. 2 & 3, 2007. She'll be doing a concert Friday night and a conference Saturday, during which time she'll be talking about the Seven Celebrations of the Soul. Details will be available soon at www.trinitywired.com. Mark your calendar. You don't want to miss this conference!