29
#LeapDay Leftovers
Jon Burgess2“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”4His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.“Seven,” they replied. Mark 8:2-5 (NIV)
Only in the hands of Jesus can your leftovers become a do-over for the ministry you missed before. Only 47 verses separate the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 in the Gospel of Matthew. We don't know how long the time was between these two miraculous feedings but it couldn't have been too long and yet the disciples are not getting it. This is their do-over! This is their chance to see what Jesus sees. It was time to see people instead of a problem. To see the supernatural supply instead of the insurmountable need. To act with God's generosity rather then mans scarcity. But... they didn't. This time it's wasn't someone else's lunch, it was their own. Do the math. 7 loaves isn't much for 12 guys. This was probably what they had leftover from their last meal and they needed to make it last. Instead, Jesus was saying "let it go!"
When we let go of what we have into God's hands our leftovers become a do-over and we see over and over His miraculous provision. Like the disciples I am resistant. I see it as "this is all I have left" (scarcity) instead of "all I have is God's" (supply). It's no accident that this would be the reading on Leap Day. God is calling me to take a leap of faith into generous living. To see what He sees is to do what He does is to give what He has is to love how He loves. It's restoration instead of limitation. It reminds me of what happened when Chef Sam Choy came to our house this past Friday to shoot an episode of his new TV show on KHON2 entitled "Sam Choy's In The Kitchen." He calls it "food restoration." He goes into people's kitchens and creates something new out of all the old leftovers that usually ends up just getting tossed out. When he looked in our refrigerator he didn't see old rice, leftover pork, browning broccoli, stale pizza and half empty bottles of salad dressings. No, he saw quesadillas, stir fry, and croutons he calls pizzatons. Our leftovers became a do-over and we saw what the chef saw come to life before our eyes. In fact it was amazing but we had enough food to feed our whole family, his crew of four and Chef Sam himself. It wasn't on the level of the miracle we are reading about, but it sure seemed like making something from nothing. That's food restoration. It's what soul restoration looks like to our Savior. He looked at the seven loaves of the disciples and saw endless supply for the needy and hungry and lost. Jesus looks at what we might be tempted to throw away and asks us to hand it to Him so He can take the old and make it new again! Don't second-guess what God can do what with all that He has entrusted to you. What you have left is all God needs to do what happens next to reach the needs around you. Today is a do-over!
I'm always saying I need more time. Leap Day is an extra 24 hours more or less. It's a poignant reminder that You have given me everything I need for life and godliness. Today is a do-over for all I missed before. I don't want to live out of "not enough" when You are more then enough. I don't want to live in the fear and constraints of my supply. I want to live in the freedom and compassion of Your supply. I let go of what I've got left so You can make something new out of it and feed the world around me! On this Leap Day I pay forward all You have given to me! To see what You see is to do what You do is to give what give is to love how You love.
