Last night when I put Aspen to bed I read her the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish.  It starts out with Jesus telling His disciples to find food for the people.  They emphatically state that it can’t be done.  There is not enough food to feed the crowd of people.  Jesus then asks them, “How many loaves do you have?”  They did a search and came back with the total count: fives loaves, two fish. 

Jesus took the fives loaves and two fish and looking up at heaven gave thanks for the food.  He then broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to give to the people.  After everyone had eaten they picked up twelve baskets of left overs.  They had more left overs than they had food to start out with. 

Now that is how we are to do our work for God.  We like to think it’s ok to be a bench warmer because we don’t have much to give.  But, if we give what we have to God, He will multiply it just like He did the loaves and fishes and in the end you will have more than you started with.

Last year we bought Aspen a gingerbread house to make.  It was a disaster because she wasn’t old enough yet to put together the house from scratch so tonight Brett bought her a gingerbread house that is already put together and now all she has to do is decorate it.  God works like that….He puts together the parts that we can’t.

But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!  “How much bread do you have?” He asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.”  Mark 6:37,38, 41-43

Balmy temperatures greeted me as I stepped outside my front door.  Despite the calendar assuring me it is the 4th of December the thermometer outside rose higher than the one inside.  I took advantage of the beautiful late fall day and picked up my rake.  I swung the rake back and forth for about an hour and soon had three huge piles of leaves.  But, despite the fact that I have spent several hours this fall raking the yard, a multitude of leaves still remain on the ground. 

The leaves remind me of the text 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never ends…”  No matter how often I rake,  leaves still stubbornly remain on  the ground.  They have a purpose though.  They will break down and provide nutrients to the soil and the plants and trees that grow in it.  The cycle continues, the trees grow more leaves and drop them again, they nourish the soil and provide the nourishment to grow more leaves. 

My life can represent the same cycle when I allow the love of God into my life.  When I share His love with others, it continues to spread and create more love.  The nutrients in the love of God nourish my soul, I share it with others and they share it even further.  Other things will end, but the love of God endures forever.