Christianity Oasis Forum

[Lani]

John 6:1-13
1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.


"Jesus said unto his disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John 6:12


My dreams, hopes, and plans lay in ruins following my husband's death. I did not want to continue living. I didn't care to pick up the pieces of my life and go on.

In the midst of my grief, I happened upon the phrase "getting meaning out of life's remainders." Webster's dictionary defines remainder as "what is left after a part is taken away." That surely described me following the loss of my husband of 55 years. Sometimes life leaves us with nothing but "remainders." The death of someone we love, damage to our reputation, or a loss of employment can leave us feeling that we have nothing left to life for. However, Jesus teaches his disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."

Just as Jesus was concerned with the fragments of food left after feeding the crowd, surely Christ is concerned that I not waste the remaining time I have. It isn't always easy, but with God's help it is possible to get on with life and find purpose for our existence regardless of the losses we suffer.



Prayer: God of love and power, hold us up when life hits us hard, and give us courage and strength to find new life in the face of grief. Thank you for staying with us all our days. Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: Someone picking up the pieces after loss

Story shared by: D. Snyder (TN)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 7/12/11