Now that our sons are/were out of the house, Theresa still makes the same size portions for dinner, but we have lunch for the next day in the form of leftovers. Even if it something we would usually lick the bowl clean on, she still puts aside a portion for me for the next day, and it is something I look forward to for lunch. And it reminds me of when we were kids, and all the starving kids in China who would have wanted what was left on your plate. "Eat it, kids are starving in China," and you wonder if the answer to world hunger was as close as the plate your dog was about to clean when you were done eating. But as kids, I don't remember many leftovers, and I don't remember leaving the table still hungry either.
When in Cleveland for business, we would stay at this Holiday Inn. Ironically, it had this huge atrium, to let the sun in-which rarely visits Cleveland, so you always had this cheerful, gray sky watching over you. And as far as food goes, it was maybe a 2 out of 10, only because how badly can you screw up French fries-which seemed to come with everything. But where there cuisine lacked flavor, I will give them a higher score for creativity, or maybe more accurately efficient use of food on hand. After enduring the same sausage links-either raw or jerky style for breakfast, you didn't get to choose, one night they had a sign in the lobby that tonite was pizza night. And since we were all tired of prepared food, we thought a break was coming. Even the girl at the desk said it was pretty good, but after eating it found she probably was paid to lie, and had never eaten it. Remember my comment on French fries? Well, they may have been the only thing not on it. The best way I can describe it, was a pizza omelets. Sans eggs. What hadn't been eaten , or thrown away from previous breakfasts, was on the pizza. Now I like sausage on my pizza, but links? Long strips of still not fully cooked bacon? Something that may have been hash browns-at least it was brown, and on a thin, cardboard hard crust. Sorta like the precursor to carbon fibre, without the carbon, not sure about the fiber-could have been the entire pizza that gave us the get up and go feeling! Anyway, I/we had never eaten anything like this before-it was leftovers pizza! Not to be confused with leftover pizza, which I like. This was made from food saved after we had eaten breakfast-and maybe not that day, and may have been from someone else's plate. When one wise guy thought he recognized his teeth marks in a link, we didn't doubt him. And we all vowed to never eat pizza in Cleveland again. Cleveland, home of the Cuyahoga River that caught fire, the Indians, who hadn't for years, the Browns who left to become Ravens, and now this-breakfast leftovers pizza. But what would you expect from a town on a lake called Erie/Eerie? And no mention was ever made of the poor kids in China starving. At least in Mexico, they would have made it into a burrito-here you couldn't even roll the crust!
People can be leftovers too. And not just in Cleveland. So many times, we feel the need to minister, but are afraid of one on one contact. So we give money, when really the tug of our heart is to sit with them. I have been in fast food restaurants, where a homeless guy was to be ejected, and told the manager, "it's OK, he's with me." I have sat and listened to those who no one listens too, and found that except for the grace of God, there go I. But many are destitute, due to bad decisions, and are unwilling to make a good decision for Christ. And yet, He stands ready to help in any and very situation. Like Job, we cannot see the events in heaven, and can't tell if we are being tested, or bragged about by God. We only think of our present situation, and not from God's perspective, but ours. We become like a dog, eating everything insight,whether it tastes good or not, or even if it isn't edible. We shun good advise, and end up like the pizza in Cleveland-inedible, and filled with trash from earlier in the day. Jesus promises us that if we turn to Him, He will guide our paths. Doesn't always promise it won't be tough-like the pizza crust, but that He will get us through-like He did the pizza meal. But we must trust Him, because He is trustworthy. He has never failed, and won't. Be it hunger, finances, rent, cars, jobs, pizza, or relationships-He stands ready to guide you, and the line is never too long that He doesn't get to you. His time for you isn't leftover, and there are no lines-He always has time for you.
Render unto Christ the things of Christ-your life! And let Him guide and provide. Take some one on one time, and participate, not only donate. And look out for daily specials, and if the sausage is link, the bacon is limp, and the crust is hard-remember life can be like that too. And Jesus has a special meal provided just for you. Trust Him-one on one. He fed the 5000, many times, but served them individually. And has a daily special with your name on it-just for you! Nothing leftover, and unlike breakfast in Cleveland, His blessings are new every morning. What are you hungry for? Your next meal is just one prayer away!
love with compassion,
Mike
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