I found myself in Matthew 14 the other day reading about Jesus feeding the 5000. You’ve probably read the story. You know the crowd was a lot bigger since Scripture only states the number of men present. You know the disciples came to Jesus and suggested he send the multitude home because it was getting late and the people were hungry. You know there were only five loaves of bread and a couple fish and after Jesus blessed the food and fed the crowd, there were twelve baskets of leftovers. As I read a story I’ve read and heard countless times, I saw something new. I saw the folks passing out the bread. I saw the excitement and wonder at the never ending basket of food. I saw the people who didn’t completely understand how the bread and fish kept appearing but didn’t let their lack of understanding scare them away. I heard the laughter and joy. I saw the thrill every time food was pulled out of that empty basket. Watching God work is so overwhelmingly exciting that you can’t help but be joyful and amazed and maybe even moved to happy tears. God’s never boring and his people shouldn’t be either. We need more people ready to, not only watch God work but willing to jump in and join him. Surround yourself with those who are so excited to work for God. Surround yourself with those ready and willing to get involved because they know that God can and will change situations. Surround yourself with them and then become one because the church needs more people who are thrilled! We need them in our churches. The youth needs to see their commitment. The seniors need to see their zeal. The world needs their hope on social media, in our schools, and our workplaces. We have enough people who are pew warmers. We need the waiters. The servants. The joyful disciples who can’t wait to tell you what God is doing. Keep your eyes on Jesus, allow him to work through you, and enjoy the thrill of hope.
