Nothing Wasted Those of you who know me in real life know that I, along with others from my church, go to an area childrens shelter once a month to hang out with the kids and mainly to tell them about Jesus. (I wont say more than that about where we go, so lets leave it at that, okay?) We did our Christmas party with them last Tuesday. As I always do, I called the day before to check in with the shelter supervisor. I made sure we were still set, asked how many kids we should prepare for, and as I was about to hang up the phone God prompted me to ask about any allergies the kids might have. I ask this every month and as of yet we havent had any allergies. Honestly, Id almost forgotten to ask. This time, however, the supervisor informed me that they did have a child with a gluten sensitivity. I got specifics on what he could and could not eat, then hung up. We were taking sandwich platters for the party... that was the main course. Bread. Lots and lots of bread. So I texted a couple ladies from my church who are very familiar with gluten intolerance issues to ask what in the world I was supposed to do. One of them told me that our Summersville Wal-Mart sells gluten free bread. Very good news. That evening I grabbed a loaf and just about dropped it when I saw the price. I am so sorry for all of you with gluten allergies, because clearly they substitute gold for the gluten. Nearly $4 for a loaf of bread. Really? I got it and a package of cookies, determined that this kid would be able to eat what his peers ate... despite my aversion to the cost. We got to the shelter the next day and were shocked to find that our numbers were lower than wed anticipated. Several kids had been allowed to visit their homes over the holidays. Apparently one of them was the kid with the gluten allergy. Youd have to know what a cheapskate I am to understand my reaction. I am a sale-shopping, coupon-clipping kind of girl. I hate to waste money. Im big enough to confess that as I was serving food to those kids, I was having a little discussion with the Lord. God, you knew that boy wasnt going to be here yet you made sure I asked about allergies and bought that bread. $4, Lord - wasted. Im going on and on in my head with God about that wasted $4 and then it came. Have you ever had the Holy Spirit tell you to be quiet? Yeah, He said shhhh... So I shushed and waited. As the boys were going through the line getting their sandwiches, one boy turns to the other one and whispers in the most amazed tone Look. They even brought special bread for ***Joe. My eyes filled with tears. The only thing I could really think was Wow, Lord. Youre still doing miracles and opening hearts through loaves of bread, I see. That one loaf of bread and the fact that God led us to go above and beyond for one child spoke to the hearts of those two boys going through that line. It showed we cared - even though the boy that needed it wasnt even there. And by showing that we cared, it showed that God cared. I know that one $4 loaf of gluten-free bread planted a seed in at least one heart (the boy that commented on it) and only God knows how many more hearts it touched. Only God can work through a loaf of seemingly unnecessary, unopened, gluten-free bread. Im pretty sure that loaf of bread changed my heart, as well. Praise God, who wastes nothing. May I have more faith to simply be quiet, move in faith, and watch Him work in ways I rarely understand. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. - Isaiah 55:8 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” - John 6:12 *** Obviously the boys name was not Joe. Confidentiality dictates that I cant say the real name.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:06:46 +0000
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