It’s all in how you look at it

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down. “There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, give thanks and distributed to those were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. John 6:5-11

This story reminds me of the phrase “is the glass half full or half empty? It’s all in the eyes of the beholder”. Now, the disciples didn’t understand yet about the miracles Jesus could perform, and they were being very realistic about their abilities to feed 5000 people. But where Jesus saw opportunity, they saw only defeat.

How many times do we, with our realistic attitudes miss the opportunities? This story also reminds me of a recent drive down “A” street with my son on our way to church. We’ve always had an agreement that for every dandelion he brings me, he gets a kiss. In the springtime he can arrive home from the bus stop with over 30 dandelions and receive 30 kisses. We both love it and I look forward to a fistful of dandelions and realize that it won’t be long before the idea of 30 kisses from his mother will make him cringe. But on this day as we drove by Roberts Park and I saw the entire park covered with yellow blooms my thought was, “Oh, what a mess that’s going to be for the neighbors in a couple weeks”. Mitchell’s alternative thought was “Wow, that must be worth about six million kisses.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, Each day, starting today, help me to see opportunities where I see problems and barriers. Open my eyes to the wonders of your world and the miracles you perform. Thank you for the many stories of the Bible and the way they keep teaching me new things! Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan (reprinted from the Eastridge Daily Devotional Book, published in 2008)