Gather Up the Crumbs - Celebrating/Feasting/Moving On

"We stand in the midst of nourishment and we starve. We dwell in the land of plenty, yet we persist in going hungry. Not only do we dwell in the land of plenty; we have the capacity to be filled with the utter fullness of God." (Eph. 3:16-19)


Lord, I have wandered through my life, searching for purpose, love, meaning... It wasn't until I learned to pause, to be silent, to become vulnerable did I realize you were offering me manna along the journey, manna that would lead me to you, my true love, my true purpose and meaning.  Thank you, O God of never ending second chances! If it weren't for your love, I would still be wandering, missing the nourishing crumbs of blessing that you have strung along my path. AMEN.

Words/Insights/Quotes/Poetry:

We are "made" by words.

I've a good friend who I lovingly refer to as "My Word Maven".  He reads and retains at a level I can only stand and be amazed. Others, who do complicated crossword puzzles or excel at Scrabble, amaze me. Or, there are the pastors who give wonderful prayers at the drop of a hat, using and connecting words in a way I never think of connecting.

I do not feel as though I am good with words, yet I appreciate the power and the beauty of words.  I love this image that is made by using words, it reminds me that there is great truth in the saying, "You are what you eat."

Jesus is referred to in scripture as "The Word". If that doesn't give me a clue to the power and importance of words, nothing would! My choice is one, how I respond to the words that fill my world.  Two, my choice is also to discern which words are nourishing crumbs and which will make me sick.

Listen! Jesus said, "May those with eyes, see...and may those with ears, hear." Elijah did not find God in the wind or in the fire, or....Elijah found God in a whisper.  In order for me to be fed by the crumbs of words, I have got to LISTEN!  When I am still. When I let go of my agenda. When I take intentional time to pause. When I....I can hear and I am fed.

Two, there are MANY scripture passages that remind me that not all words are nourishing. Just a few from Proverbs:

• The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4
• Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. Proverbs 11:12
• A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 26:28
• She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

I mentioned poetry.  Carl Sandburg expressed so well the nourishing crumbs of these words.

Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air.  Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable.  Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away.                           ~ Carl Sandburg Poetry Considered

Words connected together within insights, quotes, poetry, scripture....nourish me and build me up.  These words help me to pause and be still.  These words remind me of the love that is mine, if I am only awake to hear.

People/Connectedness:


Without others to speak the truth to me in love.  John Donne said, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."




God created me to be a part of the world and this world is full of others!

Life is about relationship. Not only relationship with God, but relationship with God's creation, and that includes a whole lot of people who were created differently than me.

When I am awake and open, I can gather the crumbs of blessing from other people.  Sometimes those crumbs are offered within words of affirmation and sometimes they are offered within words of criticism. Notice I am back at the word thing?

My crumbs are separate, yet a piece of another.

I am thankful for the relationships in my life that build me up, encourage me, guide me, care for me...and I am thankful I am learning to see these acts of love expressed in ways that might not always "feel good" but are offered in love.

Prayer:

To pray is to ...

I so loved Macrina's insight that "To pray is to touch God and let God touch us."


Honestly? I am only just now beginning to fully appreciate the power, the love, the EVERYTHING that is prayer.

I've "prayed" for most of my life, yet my prayers often felt rote or empty. I am only now beginning to appreciate that my prayers do not have to be the "WOW" kind of prayers that carry full images and wonderful insights.

I am only now, beginning to appreciate that I am praying much of the day, some times without even realizing.  I have caught myself reading a poem, or watching a video, or witnessing an act of love...and I will whisper, "Isn't that great!" And as I have thought more about prayer, when I utter those words, I realize that they are a prayer.

As I continue to walk along my journey, my hope and my prayer is that I am in a place of prayer throughout my day.

By using the gifts God gave them, and by observing the
crumbs along the path, they found their way home!

Lord, writing within this journal, is also a form of prayer.  I often find myself wanting to stay, and soak up more of the nourishment that is mine within this time.  But, I am looking at the clock and I realize I will miss the opening program of VBS this morning.  I thank you and praise you that this congregation is quite capable to doing things without me always being present!  They are wonderful and nourishing crumbs that you have blessed me with during this time in my journey to you.  I thank you for them and for all the children who will walk through the doors of the church today.  Bless each one.  Bless me, Lord so that I might find my way home by gathering the crumbs you have placed along my path.  AMEN.

Here's a video that is not a worship video. This video is a great reminder that what is held up in this world, what seems so very important and "real" is so fleeting.  It is a good reminder for me to Follow the Son rather than the stuff of this world.

"I'll Follow the Son" the Beatles...

Many Blessings ~ Sandi