Leftover Significance

When my children were growing up, family dinners happened every night.
That was our time to gather.
That was our time to share stories of our day.
That was our time to connect.

With five children, two boys and three girls, we rarely had leftovers.
What was made for dinner was eaten.
I always seemed to make enough.
Very rarely food was wrapped up and put in the refrigerator.

My youngest son never liked leftovers.
He liked to eat the food the first time when it was freshly made.
My husband and I would just look at each other with a knowing glance.
He will appreciate leftovers someday, my husband would say.

My son is married now with a home of his own.
When he and his wife are here for the weekend, I always have leftovers for them to bring home.
My daughter-in-love is a wonderful cook; they even have their own garden.
She is a nurse and the leftovers are perfect for her lunch when she works a long shift.

The days of seven people consistently around the table are gone.
When it is just a few of us, I still tend to cook for a crowd.
It is difficult to reduce recipes.
Thankfully, my husband likes leftovers.

I look in the refrigerator and see glass dishes and lids.
I welcome a salad leftover for my lunch the next day.
My husband loves when I make homemade soups of various kinds.
He enjoys having that soup the following day as well.

Since having a baby, my daughter and her husband have been the recipients of many meals.
Friends have signed up to bring meals to them for the first month.
The meals have been a blessing.
Since it is only the two of them eating the meals, there are many leftovers.

My daughter has not had to think about making dinner since her daughter was born.
The leftovers in their refrigerator are visible signs of God’s grace.
The leftovers are not wasted.
The leftovers are eaten and enjoyed.

Leftovers really are a sign of grace.
God provides for us.
Sometimes that provision overflows.
We never dismiss the blessings that come from God’s hand, often through other people.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”  “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. (Mark 6:30-44)

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. (Mark 8:1-9)

Jesus performed two different miracles.
In one miracle, five thousand people were fed bread and fish.
Twelve basketfuls of leftovers were gathered.
In the other miracle, four thousand people were fed with seven baskets of leftovers.

The twelve baskets were the size of lunch pails.
There were twelve lunch pails and twelve disciples.
This is a miracle of perfect provision.
Jesus perfectly provided for the twelve, so they could have their lunch after everyone was fed.

The seven baskets leftover in the feeding of the four thousand were man-size baskets.
There was more than enough food leftover to feed many people.
This is a miracle of abundance.
Jesus provided over and above what the people needed.

That is the way Jesus does things.
Jesus perfectly provides and Jesus abundantly provides.
Each is an example of His grace.
Each is the tender way He loves us.

When I think of leftovers, I also think of something besides food.
I think of our time.
To what do we give our first priority, day in and day out?
Who or what gets our leftovers?

That is a challenging question I ask myself.
Who or what gets our first attention?
Who or what gets the best of ourselves?
Who or what gets the leftovers when we are tired and spent?

We are the only one who can answer that question honestly.
Where is God in the hierarchy of importance?
Is God first, with our time, our talents, and our attention?
Or does God get our leftovers when we are done with everything else?

I am looking at the leftovers in my refrigerator in a different way.
I see them as grace, a way to feed others.
I see them as a reminder.
God needs to be my first priority; no leftovers for Him.

2 responses to “Leftover Significance”

1. When I was recuperating from heart surgery, my coworkers asked my husband if we could use some help with meals. Unbeknownst to me, he said yes, and the dinners poured into our home three times a week. Our refrigerator was packed, but my fridge -filling friends didn’t want to stop helping! They all wanted their chance to provide for their friend. Out of necessity, my husband started to freeze the meals. Now, even months later, we enjoy the kindness of my colleagues and the grace of God every time I look into our freezer to decide what to make for dinner. I get choked-up thinking that God placed all of these people in my life, and I never knew that they would bless me with their love and caring one day. I just thought of them as friends at work and acquaintances to say hello to daily, but God had another plan. Now the containers of food remind me to thank Him for ALL that He provides for me: my health, my life, the people in my life and for all of His good gifts that he offers to me. God is good!!

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   • Karen, what grace! What a gift you were given! God provided and blessed you through others. How wonderful that every time you take out some leftovers from your freezer, they will be a visible reminder to bless your heart.
     Regina

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