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NACR Daily Meditation

Sunday 15th of September 2019

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
"Bring them here to me," he said.

Matthew 14:17-18

Sometimes after reading the newspaper or watching the news on television
we experience an intensely painful awareness of the enormity of the world’s
problems and the hopeless inadequacy of the resources available to solve
these problems. During recovery we often experience these same feelings
of helplessness and inadequacy. Our personal problems seem enormous. Our
resources seem incredibly limited. Part of our denial comes from our desire
to avoid recognizing that our personal problems are bigger than our personal
resources. We will need resources more extensive than our own to make any
progress in recovery.

Fortunately, God has a long and consistent history of working with people
who have limited resources. It has been God’s consistent pattern throughout
the biblical record. God’s preference is to bring strength out of weakness.
The abundance which God brings from a few loaves and fishes is a clear sign
of the surprising resource-full-ness of God. God does not seem to be at home
among the well-nourished, the resourced, the un-needy. In a reversal of
all of our expectations, God comes to the needy and limited with invitations
to participate in the Kingdom.

When we see how few loaves and fishes we have, we become convinced that
our needs for nourishment will not be met. And we conclude that there will
be nothing left over to share. But the hopelessly limited resources somehow
turn into abundance when offered to God. There is enough for us and enough
to share. Each day, one day at a time, God accepts our limited resources
and surprises us with what can be done.

I am hungry, Lord.
I have not been getting the nourishment I need.
What I have is so limited.
A few loaves.
A few fish.
There will not be enough to go around.

I cannot imagine what use they will be
but I make my limited resources available to you.
Accept my limited resources, Lord.
I bring them to you for your blessing.
Amen.

Copyright 2019 Dale and Juanita Ryan

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