Our neighbors have COVID. We feel horrible for them, and helpless at the same time. They’re young. Anyway, I was making chicken enchiladas and Terry and I decided we should make a batch for them, too. We would leave it on their doorstep; no contact, yet let them know we love them and we are praying for them.
I made three pounds of chicken and shredded it, and after I made my enchilada sauce and added the chicken to the pot of sauce, I looked at it and began to doubt myself. “Is this going to be enough for tonight, and for our neighbors, too?” I questioned. One of Terry’s oldest and best friends was in town, so he and his mom were coming over for dinner. We set up the outside to where we could eat outside, socially distanced and safe, yet still visit with them.
So I had the chicken for the four of us, plus for our neighbors, and now I was wondering if I should thaw out some more chicken and cook it? Have I made a huge mistake, I wondered?
But as I began filling and rolling the enchiladas, I not only had enough of the chicken mixture, I had leftover mixture.
I could not help but think of when Jesus fed the five thousand. They went from not having enough, to having 12 baskets, leftover.
12 baskets, y’all. 12 baskets of leftovers, from two fish and five loaves of bread. And they fed five thousand people.
“When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” - John 6:12-13 (NIV)
How amazing is that? Jesus took five loaves of bread and two small fish, (v. 9) fed five thousand people and had leftovers.
We are never enough, on our own. We just aren’t. As much and as hard as we try, we cannot do it all, on our own.
But with Jesus? We always have more than enough, no matter what our “enough” is. Be it teaching your kids at home, now; balancing time management to get the work done and meeting your deadlines. Serving others while keeping your family safe and healthy. With Jesus, we can do it, and have leftovers. On our own strength, though, it will never be enough.
Let Him lead. Let Him guide. Let Him give you the strength. Even on the days you feel most exhausted … you will be able to get it all done, and have enough energy leftover to pour yourself a glass of wine and say, “Thank you, Jesus. We did it!”