IS MY ANTENNA UP?

*Written in May of 2020 – Junior went to heaven to be with Jesus and his brother Steve in January 2021

This last weekend, I sat with a friend, Junior, and we watched his brother’s memorial service online.  Steve passed away suddenly of COVID in April. Let me tell you, it was beautiful to hear the words they spoke at the service about him, and it was even better to hear the echoes of Junior agreeing with his children as they spoke about their Dad.  Obviously, this man was a generous, caring, unselfish person.  His daughter said they got hundreds of cards and letters telling them of things he had done and love he had shown to others, even without his family’s knowledge.  They knew of many times he’d received a call in during the night, gotten out of bed, and headed out to help someone in need.  The next morning, he would be sitting at the breakfast table as if he’d been in bed all night.   Junior smiled and said, “He never missed breakfast.”

The next morning, while cleaning the church, I heard the message “Modeling Generosity for your Children,” by Focus on the Family.  The speaker, Brad Formsma, and his family decided to make generosity a lifestyle.  They made a habit of making deliberate choices to allow their generosity room to grow.  While listening, I was reminded of Steve’s memorial service from the day before.  It seems he always had a smile, a few extra minutes to chat, a listening ear, a good word to say, the knowledge of how to fix anything, or a couple extra dollars to spare at any given moment. 

**When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”  He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.  Philip answered Him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”  Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,  “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  John 6:5-9

John 6 tells the story of Jesus asking His disciples how they would feed all the people who came to listen to Him preach. I want to point out that He already knew what He would do.  He was testing His disciples  The Bible records two responses. 

Philip responded, “There’s no way, it would take over half a year’s wages.” 

Andrew was Peter’s brother and stayed in the background most days.  Even so, he was a man of action.  He had a servant’s heart, and it showed in this story.  Instead of continuing to dwell on the size of their problem, Andrew started trying to find a solution.  He went out seeking creative ways to fix it.  While searching the crowd over, he found a boy with a sack lunch.  His response was, “This is what we have.  Is there a way?”

This boy’s mom had thought ahead and pack food for his adventure.  Not only did she model wisdom in thinking ahead, but she modeled generosity.  Children learn from what their parents do and repeat their actions.  He was hungry, but he was willing to share what little he had with someone else who was hungry and in need. 

Most of us know the story.  Jesus blessed the five loaves of bread and two fish and sent the disciples out to feed the crowd.  This meager offering was passed around the crowd until everyone’s belly was full.  Then they gathered up 12 baskets of leftovers, possibly one for each disciple.  Because Andrew was obedient and acted on it, a boy’s sacrificial sack lunch was miraculously stretched into a meal for five thousand men (not including women and children). 

Our Bible never mentions the boy again, but I choose to think he was changed, along with the crowd and the disciples that witnessed this event.  What a story he had to tell his Mom when he got home!  Who knows?  She may even have been in the crowd that day?  I also want to believe that because of Andrew’s faith, the boy’s generosity, and the miracle Jesus perform, Philip’s faith grew, too. 

Today I ask myself, “Is my antenna up?”  In the “olden days,” every TV required an external antenna (like the one shown above) to receive the television station’s broadcast signal.  We also called them rabbit ears, and we would move the antennas (or ears) around or add foil until we got a clear picture and good sound. 

When Jesus presents me with a situation that is needing action or begging for generosity, what will I do with it?  Is my antenna up and ready for His signal?  Will I sit on my hands and say, “there is no way,” or will I get off my blessed assurance and figure out something to help…to “make a way?” 

I want to live a life of no regrets.  When I am made aware of someone in need, will I obey the Holy Spirit’s leading, no matter what the cost?  Will I be part of His miracle?  Or will I watch from the sideline regretting that I was not a part of God’s solution? 

God will take care of His children with or without my help.  I have a choice as to whether I will be used as part His provisions.  I may not have much to give, but with Jesus in the picture, it is always enough.  He will multiply my offerings and take care of the multitudes.  All believers are called to plant seeds others will water and to water seeds others have planted.  

Because of the quarantine and COVID, there are multitudes of hurting, needy people.  God did not ask the disciples to figure about how to feed all of Jerusalem that day.  He just asked them to join Him in taking care of the immediate needs of those in front of them.  If we each give what little we have, Jesus will work out the rest. 

There are innumerable ways to model generosity.  Some of the most common ways are time, words, touch, talents, wisdom, experience, and money.   I tend to fall back into old ways, and sometimes I must think outside the box and to get creative in how to love on someone and show them generosity.  God calls me, as His child, to use my unique talents and gifts for His glory.

LORD, I want to live a life of generosity.  When I am on the other side of Heaven, I want those I’ve left behind to remember me, just as they did Steve, as giving of myself to love on others.  I would like to be like our Circleback family and make generosity my automatic response.  When You send a signal, I want my antennas up and ready to receive whatever mission You have for me, whether that be helping someone financially or giving of my time to just listen.  Show me the tools You have gifted me with and how to use them best to let Your love shine through me.  Allow me to be Your hands and feet, and when I mess up and don’t obey Your nudges, forgive me and help me to do better the next time.   Give me open hands and a generous heart, LORD!  In Your precious name, Amen.

** “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’  Matthew 25:40

THANK YOU

Photo by Andre Moura from Pexels