When the miracle ends – January 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Gen. 17:15-27; Heb. 10:11-25; John 6:1-15

This week, our six-year-old was playing a video game. The timer was set. Thirty minutes passed and the beeping began. He was indignant that the timer was wrong, that his time was not over. He wanted to stay in the fun of the game. He vented his frustration to Sam, “Time is a mean thing that goes really quick.”

In today’s reading from John 6, we read of Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand people by the Sea of Galilee. When the feast upon bread and fish is over, Jesus’ disciples pick up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. The people begin putting the prophesies of old and the practices of Jesus together and whisper to one another, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus gets word of the connections coming together, knowing that the people will want to make him their royal leader, he retreats in solace to the mountain so that the commotion dies down.

What a tender time between the joy of the big picnic and the reality of what comes next. It is akin to the exhilaration of a jubilant weekend retreat, only to return home to heavy burdens. Time is a mean thing that goes really quick, isn’t it?

So, let us revel in the joyous moments, allowing God’s grace to fill us up and seeing that God is with us in those spaces of feeding. And when we face the hard stuff ahead – when we are no longer pleasing those around us, or speaking a hard truth, or being vulnerable about a reality in front of us – we know that God is with us in those moments, too. 

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What leisure activities take you into a time warp, where the moments fly by?  What do you wish you had more time to do?

Daily Challenge

Set a timer for 30 minutes to do something that feeds your soul. Think about how Jesus is feeding you in this time of respite.