Collecting Manna - An Overflow of Gratitude - Lunch Boxes

Back in November I wrote a post about collecting Manna - I explained what Manna was in the Bible and how I am making a habit of observing the Manna God sends me each day. 

Sometimes my eyes grow dim and it is hard to see the hand of God at work in my life.  Sometimes I jot down my days events and it is foggy looking back over the day and I feel like I am a spoiled child even wondering what God is up to. 

Yesterday was not one of those days.  Nor the day before.

Because God dropped Manna in my lap, and I think you'll like these accounts.

The week after I wrote that, I received a generous gift - a cheque in the mail - with a note saying, 'Here's some manna to supplement your grocery budget.'  I kid you not.  It may be a helpful reference point to put this out there: My weekly budget for gas and grocery (everything except medical) is $255 U.S. (dollars, that is).  Is it crazy to think of feeding a household of 9 (including 17 year old son who can consume enormous amounts)?  No, it isn't.  I do it, sort of, except when the budget leaks...and sometimes it leaks, but we've been trying to plug the holes so we can afford the rest of life and be disciplined about this stuff.  But mostly, yes, I make this work for our family.

Around that time I had seen in one of the local mom groups on Facebook a woman who didn't want to waste food that she used in her work (as a chef).  She offered it free to anyone who would pick up.  It happened to be near the kids' school, so I said, 'Yes please!'  Ever since then, God has used her to supplement our meal resources once or twice a week.  Last night our entire meal was from the stuff I picked up from her.  These are things she couldn't donate to a food pantry most likely - a half used bag of broccoli, half a red pepper, an opened package of ground beef (etc.)  Food pantries like things not half used, I imagine.  But we don't mind - sometimes we feel like we are spoiled with the goods God sends our way.  Of course, those of you reading this who don't believe in God the way we do - yes, you can see how I am resourceful and seeking ways to make our life/budget more manageable.  I see that too.  What I haven't mentioned is that I do regularly lay requests before God, and trust Him to supply.  I really actually believe and take to heart the passages in the Bible about, 'Unless you become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.'  I don't think Jesus was saying platitudes or making some elusive metaphor here.  I actually think He meant us to reflect on how children trust, how they believe, and invites us to do likewise. 

These are two ways God has supplied us manna of late.

A couple days ago Sam and I were organizing the lunch bag/box situation - making 5 lunches a day it gets to be a jumbled mess too often.  Yesterday morning, Sam commented to me how we could use 2 more all-in-one lunch boxes.  (This, from a man who is eager to minimize and get rid of...impressive, that he would suggest having more, not less).  I had wished we could get a couple more, but the kind we really like (metal, one piece - so the lid never gets lost - PlanetBox), are ridiculously expensive.  When my sister-in-law got back from working at a thrift store nearby, she pulled out not one, but TWO PlanetBox lunchboxes.  She had spent a couple dollars on them both - one even included the lunch bag!  I was shocked - both by her discovery, but moreso by the uncanny timing - the provision of God.  Now, surely we could have made do with plastic make-shift lunch boxes.  We are in a land of plenty.  But I saw this as direct from the hand of God.  That God would take a specific desire (2 lunch boxes), and a specific preference (all-in-one) and provide at little cost to us...well, I cannot merely see it as coincidence.

This was Manna.  Sometimes, there are stories like this every day.  Perhaps I'll write more of them.



Comments

  1. Beautiful. Just beautiful.
    Thank you for writing, and sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading, and for your encouragement

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

23 years and half my life

The Craziness of Faith

Radical Hospitality