A Non-List-Worthy Legacy
Matthew 14: 17 – 18 And they said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to Me.”
If you listed every single thing you did today, how long would your list be? I mean everything – from taking out the trash to answering the tele-marketer phone call to fetching the mail from the mailbox. Exhausting, right?
Now, look at your list. How many of those items are truly list-worthy events? You know, the important activities you mention when someone asks, “What did you do today?” Would you mention all the mindless jobs like feeding the dog? Or, would you skip over those insignificant ones and only mention important activities like your doctor’s visit?
The reality is, our days are filled with a plethora of non-list-worthy events executed in auto-pilot mode. But, if you read the story of the little boy who shared his lunch from Matthew 14, you will find that a non-list-worthy event has legendary potential.
One of the main characters in this story is a little boy. Honestly, as the mother of two boys and grandmother of five (almost six) boys, I am somewhat of an expert on little boys. Truly, the overlooked “miracle” in this story is that at day’s end, this boy still had food. I vividly recall packing school lunches consisting of a sandwich, chips, cookies, fruit, and a drink for my son, Chad, only to have him come home starving because he ate it all well before lunchtime. So, if this boy still had food at the end of the day and gave it up without a struggle, I will reiterate, it was a miracle! But, importantly, he did give it up.
Next is an unseen character, the little boy’s mother, who plays an important role as the most likely lunch maker. I imagine if anyone had asked her, “What did you do today?” packing lunches would not have been a list-worthy event. She probably made lunches daily in auto-pilot mode just like mothers today. We grab two slices of bread, slap on meat, cheese, and some sort of condiment, and cram the sandwich into a plastic bag. Done without thinking! So probably, she never imagined that her son’s lunch would lead many to the Good News of Christ.
Then, there is Jesus, the miracle worker capable of transforming a non-list-worthy lunch into a 2000-year-old kingdom legacy. Just how does a simple lunch gain legacy status? Look at verse 18. Do you see it? It says the little boy surrendered his lunch and placed it into the hands of Jesus. That’s total submission!
The amazing thing is that we, too, can create kingdom legacies. Just like the little boy, when the mundane, ordinary, and non-list-worthy events of our day are surrendered to Jesus, miracles can happen, because through the insignificant, He shows His amazing power.
So, to the “Candy Lady” at church, are you aware of how many children grew to love the Lord because they first came to church for your candy? To the family who gave the neighborhood boy rides to Bible class, are you aware that today he shepherds a congregation of God’s people? To the school teacher who quietly bowed her head to pray at her lunch table, are you aware that the children who witnessed this are prayer warriors today? Maybe not. But remember, when our small, non-list-worthy events are placed into the hands of Jesus, glorious kingdom legacies are made.
Lord, thank you for blessing the mundane activities of our day. May we never tire in the insignificant events, believing in your power to take them and create kingdom legacies.
Blessings,
Rita