This Is About Me

TODAY: Remember these words of George Bernard Shaw: “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. Life is no brief candle for me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

The story of Jesus feeding the thousands is such a familiar story to most of us, yet it is filled with so many meanings and layers. Last year in the Lenten devotional book, I read about how it is a story of sharing. I loved that perspective, and I wanted to add another one to it.

Long ago when I was teaching in the Headstart program, a parent shared this story with me: Her son had gone off to Sunday School where they had evidently read this Bible story. When he returned home, she asked him what they had talked about. He relayed the Bible story, but then added: “But Mom, if Jesus really had wanted to do something great, he could have at least taken them all to McDonalds!”

I think a lot about that innocent, honest reaction. It becomes a story about expectations. I sometimes get into that same frame of reference. I want God to impress me and perform some great miracles. I wonder why God doesn’t do something really great and stop things like hunger and poverty and other problems we face in this world. Yet if I take the time to think about it, the miracle has already happened. God has provided us with all we need. There are enough resources to go around. The problem lies with us, and with the distribution of the resources. We need to be more Christ-like in our daily living, and we would see wonderful miracles everyday. I need to worry more about impressing God and less about Him impressing me.

— Joyce Lynn