Loaves and Fish

I am constantly teaching my children about how blessed we are and about how many less fortunate people there are.

My kids are friends with the kids in the Bryan church, we go to all the block parties...they are exposed all the time, but is is still very much in their comfort zone and still not very real to them.

I can talk until the cows come home but until they are face to face with it, the struggles that so many have and the need for us to be hands and feet, it is still not real.

This Christmas my children got to be real.

We did not have a traditional Christmas, whereas normally we would go to my parents house out in Snook and do the family thing. We could not do that this year because my father is very sick with cancer and is not up to company.

Praise the Lord for our Body. I got to spend Christmas with some new friends. It was our hearts desire to "eat a meal" and "serve a meal."

We had a wonderful dinner...we were blessed enough to make an abundance of food. We then sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and ate cake.

Then we packaged up our many leftovers and other food we made.

We prayed loaves and fish over the food and we went for a drive.

We did not know where we were going...but God did.

We drove all through Bryan talking to our children about so many things. The beautiful house that we have that Michael says is "small" but is yet filled with love and peace. We are not in want for anything, in fact we live in excess.

While we were driving down Main Street in Bryan, we saw a man walking alone.

We all instantly knew...we rolled down the window and asked him if he wanted Christmas dinner.

He said yes and that he lived in a fourplex around the corner. We told him to hop in and show us.

We took him to his house...I wanted to cry, but I couldn't because I had such a huge smile on my face.

When we opened the car and he saw all the food in the back, there was a look of gratitude that I can not explain.

Each of our children got to help carry food into this man's one room house that we barely fit into.

Then he said something that I will never forget and made me know in my heart that God moved mightily that day. He said "let me get my neighbors and share with them."

He could have had food for himself for a week, but yet his very first thought was to share with his neighbors.

Loaves and fish.

I bet they got to enjoy a meal together...I bet they got to fellowship.

A man that headed down Main Street alone got re-directed when we turned down the right street and out of obedience rolled down the window and spoke.

That is God.

That is real.

Hands and feet.

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:37-40