Laughing Jesus by Robert Wilson, Sr.
Perhaps you’re like me. Perhaps you’ve heard the stories of Jesus’ miracles from the time you were a little tyke. Perhaps that means you’ve been hearing the stories for many years, too. Yep, we know our Jesus stories.
Or do we?
It wasn’t until I was truly saved that I realized the power of His written Word. Stories were no longer just stories, they were lessons on life, on how to relate to one another as the Body of Christ, and on how to reflect His Light in this lost and dying world. They were messages from God.
This week the message came through the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. And the story of my dead computer.
My Christian Communicators partner and co-director, Carolyn Knefely, and I were headed to a meeting with our conference coordinator, Cynthia Owens. I was telling Carolyn how years ago God had shown me that in the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 men (not counting all the women and children) with only five loaves and two fish, He never asked God to multiply the food. He only gave thanks for it.
That insight had rocked my world way back then. After all, I’d heard the story all my life, but I’d never heard anybody share that little detail. Jesus didn’t ask God to multiply the food. He didn’t cry out on behalf of the people. He simply gave thanks.
Several hours later our meeting was over and Carolyn was unexpectedly taking me and my dead computer to the Apple Store. During the meeting I had–not once, but TWICE–dropped my computer on the hard tile floor. Carolyn drove while I whined about my computer and how difficult everything was going to be if the geniuses at the Genius Bar couldn’t get it restarted. I fretted over the expense of getting this very old, no-longer-under-warranty computer repaired, or worse–having to buy a new one.
In the middle of my whining, God spoke to my spirit, reminding me of the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000; of how Jesus didn’t complain about the situation or whine about how difficult things were going to be if they didn’t have any food for all those people. He simply gave thanks.
I stopped my whining and–out loud–thanked God for how He was going to handle this computer issue. His peace came over me.
A few hours later, I walked out of the Apple store, my old computer back to her usual self. And they didn’t charge me a cent.
Thank you, Lord . . . again.
And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. 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 the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Matthew 14:19 (NIV)
I pray His blessings on the work of your hands and your hearts,
Vonda
