God’s generosity

In the Bible ( John 6:1-13) we are told a miraculous story of how Jesus fed over five thousand people with two fish and five loaves of barley bread from a young boy's basket. The amazing thing about this story is that after all the people had eaten and were satisfied Jesus asked his disciples to "Gather up the fragments left over….."

"So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets."

In this miracle Jesus didn't just feed the people, he provided bread beyond what was necessary. There were twelve baskets of left-over bread! This is called generosity – giving more than is needed.

We see God's generosity everywhere in nature. How many fish do you think are in the oceans and how many stars in the sky?

Do dandelions grow where you live? These bright yellow flowers (some call them weeds) look like dots of sunshine glowing in green fields and yards. Have you or your children or grandchildren ever picked a dandelion when it has formed a soft seed head? Did you make a wish and see if you could blow all the seeds away? Each seed is like a tiny parachute that sails on the wind. When it bumps into something the seed falls to the ground where it will grow into another dandelion plant.

Have you ever tried to count all the seeds from one dandelion plant? There are many! This is an example of God's generosity. The same is true for flowers and vegetable plants. They don't produce just one seed, but more than is necessary, more than enough.

When you think of God's love, think of His generosity. We are given more than is needed, more than enough.

God is waiting to perform true miracles out there. God is waiting for you to make up your mind about how much you’ll give and how much you’ll keep for yourself.

Our Dear Lord, Dwell with us, abide with us, lead us, that your will may be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Charlotte Austin McCary’s Chapel United Methodist Church