When Thanksgiving Meets Impossibility
Five loaves and two small fish + thanksgiving = the perfect soil for miracles
I’d love to say that every day of my life is full of sunshine and happiness. But it’s not. In my almost 30 years of life, I have discovered that I am the one who controls my happiness, or the lack of it. Let’s just say that I was allowing outward factors to determine my state of happiness.
Most times, my troubled heart has been due to a need and the fear of ‘my’ ability to meet it or not. Meanwhile God promises to take care of us, I somehow thought I had a part to play in His care. Of course it takes faith and trust on my part, but God is settled on His end. Yet, the worries came along with uncertainty and complaints. Instead of trusting God to be God and thanking Him for who He’s CHOSEN to be for me, I’d allowed my concerns to speak loudest.
Recently I was reminded of the miracle that Jesus performed with a little boy’s lunch. He only had five loaves and two small fish, plenty for himself, but not for the crowd of over 5,000 people that Jesus was looking to feed. Yet, instead of complaining about not having enough, Jesus took what He had and gave thanks for it. After giving thanks, the little He’d started with not only met but exceeded the need.
With Jesus’ miracle in mind, I wonder what would happen if I chose to give thanks instead of worry and complain. Could I see God perform a miracle for me—or even through me—as He did with Jesus? I believe so. Jesus’ sacrifice for us forever changed and settled the way that God sees us. Jesus also promised that we’d do greater works than He did. I believe that we can and we will if we allow our trust in Him to dominate the worries and concerns that attempt to overwhelm and overtake us.
All of this to say, YES, I WAS WORRIED about a whole lot! But God is so kind and compassionate that He would remind me of not only what He has done but what He CAN AND WILL DO. Y’all, it’s GOD’s WILL for us to be CARED FOR—in EVERYTHING! He PROMISED to meet our needs! I was so busy trying to be Ms. Independent and live up to the world’s expectations that I forgot that it’s my call to be DEPENDENT ON CHRIST ALONE. I believe there is a place for independence, but not when it comes to the One who I need DAILY; every second, minute, and hour of EVERY DAY!
Worrying won’t fix any situation, nor will it change anything for good. But unrelenting trust in our faithful God will change things in such a way that we can’t even begin to imagine or comprehend! Like Jesus showed us in the miracle He performed with the five loaves and two fish, thanksgiving not only changes our perspective but it also has the power to change our situation. God’s promise to care for us and supply our every need is there, and God is true to His word. Sometimes we just need a little help to remind ourselves of this truth, and that’s where thanksgiving—for even the little we have—comes in.
‘“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? “So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
Matthew 6:31-34
‘But just then, Andrew, Peter’s brother, spoke up and said, “Look! Here’s a young person with five barley loaves and two small fish . . . but how far would that go with this huge crowd?” “Have everyone sit down,” Jesus said to his disciples. So on the vast grassy slope, more than five thousand hungry people sat down. Jesus then took the barley loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to the disciples to distribute to the people. Miraculously, the food multiplied, with everyone eating as much as they wanted! When everyone was satisfied, Jesus told his disciples, “Now go back and gather up the pieces left over so that nothing will be wasted.” The disciples filled up twelve baskets of fragments, a basket of leftovers for each disciple .
John 6:8-13
