Gail Rodgers Sharing the Journey

Growing In Grace Part 02 - An Unexpected Miracle

by Gail Rodgers

The story of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 is a familiar one. It was an exciting time 2000 years ago when great crowds of people followed Jesus because they saw miraculous healing of the sick. (John 6:1-14)

When the crowd became tired and hungry Jesus asked what food they had available. That young boy’s lunch was used in a miracle that we still read today.

I wonder if the boy’s Mom was in the crowd that day. A mother would have been concerned about the heat and the long day. She would have insisted her child eat the lunch she had prepared. She would want her child nourished. When Jesus asked his disciples about feeding the crowd would she have drawn the little boy back as he stepped forward to offer Andrew his own lunch? Mother logic could possibly have blocked a miracle.

The little boy did step forward. He did offer his small lunch to the disciple of Jesus and the rest is history. Even Andrew wondered how so little food could even make an impact with this large crowd. Yet a miracle awaited. Jesus took the boy’s loaves, gave thanks and had them distributed to the crowd of over 5000!

Imagine the exciting story that boy went home with! There had even been twelve baskets of leftovers. The little boy must have been changed forever as he saw his small resource used greatly in the hands of Jesus. What a miracle!

As moms, it is often easy to let logic try to over-ride the sometimes-radical faith of our children. It’s been our job to stabilize, rationalize and energize our children as they have grown. To release them to be Jesus followers is not always easy. Sometimes it will look to us like they are giving up the very thing they need. Trusting Jesus with their hearts and their lives is what we are called to do.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16