What's in Your Hand?

Luke 9:12-14 reads, "Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.'

He replied, 'You give them something to eat.'

They answered, 'We have only five loaves of bread and two fish-unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.' About five thousand men were there."They only had five loaves and two fish. I had a bag full of fabric scraps, a box of junior artist cray-pas, and a few sheets of 11x17 poster paper.

Their task? To feed five thousand.

My task? To do the art for Sunday morning service.

Jesus' instruction to both of us? "You give them something to eat." (Luke 9:13)

How? Jesus took what they had, gave thanks, broke it, and passed it out to the disciples to distribute.

Their end result? Luke 9:17 reads, "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketful's of broken pieces that were left over."

My result? A colorful picture illustrating four trees in four different seasons, with a bird flying from autumn into winter, and a narrow, black path in front for pedestrians to travel along. It was a picture and message God directed my shaky hands towards completing. It was well spoken at the right time for what was happening that day in the service and illustrated what season our church is currently in-autumn.

They, the twelve, couldn't foresee or plan ahead for the amazing opportunity they were privileged to take part in and neither could I.

Before the service I entertained the thought of backing out or not using the cray-pas at all. It was new and different. What if I messed up? What if it didn't come out right? Cray-pas doesn't erase.

I'm glad I didn't back out. I'm glad I prayed, "God, you have to guide my hands because I'm not sure what I'm doing. Help!"

Now, I'm encouraged and strengthened, humbled and blessed. God chooses to work in and through us, in spite of our weaknesses. He looks to us to bless and feed His sheep.

So what's in your hand? What do you have to give for others to feast upon and be satisfied?