On April 14, my Bible reading was John 6 and this is what I felt the Lord showed me...
I imagine it was early and this little boy had his adventure all planed for the day. He had heard the talk about this man who was going to be speaking in the area. He asked his mother if he could go and she said yes. Yet knowing how growing boys get hungry she said, "just a minute." (I have a 10 and a 12 year old boy and trust me they can't go long without food, that is why I see this little boy about the same age of my boys. Therefore, not just A FISH and A LOAF but FIVE loaves and TWO fish.) I can see her stopping what she was doing to be sure that her son had a little basket all packed with his lunch. She may have said, "Here, I packed you something...I know how hungry you get. I even sent you some extra in case you need to share. I hope you have fun. One more thing...don't forget your manners, son."
You know the story. Jesus was speaking and the crowd was about 5,000. Jesus tested Philip when he asked him where he was going to buy bread for all these people. Andrew spoke up and shared about this little boy and what he had in his basket. This makes me think of my 10 year old because he would find a way to get right up to the front where all the action was. I wonder how Andrew knew that this little boy had a lunch and how he knew exactly what and how much he had. Was he already eating? Had his mother packed more that just the five loaves and the two fish? Did the little boy hear Jesus talking and offer what he had to Andrew thinking that maybe Jesus and the disciples could eat his lunch? What would his mother say when he got home and told her that Jesus and his disciples didn't have any food but he remembered what she had taught him...to share? Did he think that his mother would be suprised that he was able to feed Jesus?
This mother was a prepared woman always thinking ahead. (I like her already!) I like to think she was organized always tryinig to stay several steps ahead. She spent her first hours of her day living in the later hours of the day trying to be sure that everything was thought of, planned out, and details all covered.
How many times as a mother have you been criticized or the brunt of the joke because you are "ALWAYS OVER-PREPARED." Some people laugh and roll their eyes at me while others say, "I like doing stuff with you because you think of everything." As a mother of four kids in five years, there were times I carried everything you could imagine, and sometimes more than that. I remember when our fourth child was born. I made a special shopping trip just to get a diaper bag that was designed for a mother of 4. It was known as "THE BAG". It went everywhere we went; almost like a fifth child or at least as heavy as another child.
John 6 shows me that not only is it important to be prepared, but as mothers it is our responsibility to teach our children to share what they have even if it is only something as small as our lunch. If that little boy had not had a mother that was concerned, prepared, and had taught her son about sharing, how would that day have turned out? She also taught him a great lesson that if you give your little to the Lord He can and will use it to help others and bring glory to His name. Not only did Jesus feed the 5,000 until they were full, but there was left overs. When we trust God with all that we have and give it to him He blesses it. Needs are met and he always leaves us in a place of more than when we started. He is the God of increase.
As a mom we sometimes feel that what we do, "the everyday mom stuff", is just routine and that in the big picture of life, does it really matter? Does anyone notice that I stay up late and get up early so that my family has what they need to make their day run smooth?
I hope from this story you are encouraged to continue to be prepared and know that you just might be raising the "little boy or little girl" that God uses to feed the next 5,000, because you, MOM, have been preparing, teaching, loving, and sharing. The mother in John 6 was never mentioned reminding us that is it is not all about us. Yet, she had an impact. As a mom, your ministry is your children. Therefore, sow a lot of seed into your ministry, pray over your ministry, ask God to bless your ministry, give God control of your ministry and expect God to bring glory to himself through the harvest of your ministry.
Investing in Eternity,
Jenny
