“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)More Than Enough
Over the years, I’ve been inspired by several excellent cooks and one of my favorites was my friend, Evelyn. She always created dishes that lured you back for seconds! (And maybe thirds if it was her homemade bread and jelly!) Now, most people would be happy if their guests left little behind at the end of a meal, but not Evelyn. Her philosophy was to provide all we could eat and still have more to serve. “Enough” was not in Evelyn’s vocabulary. She’d always keep watch and when she saw something running low, she was ready to fill it right back up. By her example, I’ve learned to always be prepared to offer more than enough. And that’s exactly what I try to do whether cooking for two or twenty-two! I only wish I was better at applying “Evelyn’s Way” when offering my talents, too.
“By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But He answered, ‘ You give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ‘How many loves do you have?’ He asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five-and two fish.’ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.” Mark 6:35-44 (NIV)
I’m afraid when it comes to thinking about offering to others the talents and abilities God’s given me, I’m an awful lot like the disciples in the scripture above, offering excuses instead: “Wrong place and time, There’s someone else who can serve them, I don’t have the means, Surely, you don’t expect that of me?” I’m still learning, maybe I’m not the only one, the same thing the disciples were: that when we place our little into Jesus’s hands, He’ll make it into more than enough to be shared with those around us!
I don’t know about you, but for me, in today’s social media driven world, it’s easy to look around and feel I don’t have as much on my plate to offer as others do. But, just as a meal in Evelyn’s hands provided her family and friends with all they needed and more, so are we in the hands of the One who has given us our talent in the first place. He’s watching and ready to fill us with not just enough, but rather in “Evelyn’s Way”; so, that whether we’re around the table, sitting in the green grass, or anywhere else, we’ll have more than enough of what we need to serve one another OR even five thousand others, well!
Joining today with other writers in TWO places! You can learn more at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and https://anitaojeda.com/welcome-to-the-write-28-days-blogging-challenge/ This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is “Talent” and the prompt for Day 7 of the Write 28 Days Challenge is “Enough”. I know you’ll enjoy reading the offerings on both sites! As always, I hope you know how much I appreciate the support you give me by being here!
Cindy, I believe He ALWAYS sends us what we need, even if it’s to give to others. However, I don’t always remember that so I’m glad you posted this. Many a day comes when I think, what, I can’t do that, I don’t have that… ha ha But He hasn’t let me down yet. Keeping the faith is a full time job! Thanks for all your thoughtful blogs. They are another thing I need that he has sent through you! xoxo
“Faith is a full time job!” I love that LaVonne!!! I don’t know why it’s so easy to forget all the times God has provided and instead only see our shortcomings, but is sure is for me. I need extra training for my “full time job” I’m afraid! Thank you for your kind words. They mean more than you know!
I love this, Cindy! It’s a great reminder that even when we don’t feel like we have much to offer, God can make it more than enough when we give it to him!
I have to be reminded of this too often but am so grateful it’s true!! Thank you for taking time to stop in Lesley! I so appreciate it!
hi cindy, i enjoyed your post on talents. comparison is a killer of paying attention to the gifts GOD has given us and using them rather than comparing with the gifts He has given others. it’s a good thing we don’t have to be tied to the comparison game when it comes to talents.
Love everything you wrote here Martha! It’s a reminder I need! Thank you for taking your time to comment! I appreciate it!
Cindy, I had to go back & read this a 2nd time cause something really stirred me. When I came to “looking up to heaven, He gave thanks…”
In the frustrations of trying to get our home back together & being reminded of the many things I was initially thankful for… I need to look back & concentrate on the half full rather than the half empty. I have failed “to let go & let God” as situations bring frustration.
Thankful to Jesus for how He uses people to help us go the next step 🙏🏻❤️ God bless you❣️🙏🏻
It is so interesting Caron, because that part of the verse jumped out at me too and I think it may be the most important part of the whole message. Pretty sure it’s a blog post or two of its own. I need to be reminded quite often to look at half full instead of half empty too! Glad we can help each other!
There’s so much that I have done
in which I’ve been deficient,
but of what counts, there’s only one:
was my love sufficient?
Did I give my whole red heart
when it was sore needed,
or did I keep myself apart,
my own desires heeded?
I do hope that I gave it all,
and more, to bring some light
for those who were about to fall
into the pit of night.
Dear God, I pray that what I did
was that which, in Your grace, You bid!
Exactly Andrew! Thank you for sharing your gift with me!
Love this! It’s so easy to forget that God will provide enough—that we don’t have to multiply the loaves and fishes—we just have to bring out little offerings to him to multiply.
It sure is easy and a lesson I’m slow in learning! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule, Anita, to comment. It means a lot to me! And thanks for all the work you put into this Challenge!
I’ve never thought of giving “more than enough” when it came to spiritual gifts. My main spiritual gift is mercy. Is there a difference between showing mercy and more-than-enough mercy? I’ll have to really think about this. Thanks!
I’m not sure Lila but maybe it’s more that when we find it difficult to share our gift like mercy, God gives us more than enough of what we need to do it anyway?? Like I said in the post, I’m still learning. I appreciate your thoughts. I’ll be pondering too.
I LOVE your perspective on there never being a limit to what God can do with our talent(s)! Thank you for writing.
~ your 5MF neighbor, who has returned after a nearly 3 year hiatus of not feeling “enough”
I’m so glad you’re back Laura! I let those thoughts of being not enough keep me from writing too! I enjoyed your post very much! Hope we both can remember to put our “not enoughs” into God’s hands! Thank you for stopping in!