“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31 (Mark 6:31-44)
Tha Son said ter his mates, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
So they got in a boat and set sail fer a solitary place. Only when they beached tha boat, tha Son saw such a large crowd that his heart near broke. Right then he began ter teach folks on account of most be hungry fer sound teaching in Skipper’s ways.
Come supper time, tha Son’s mates piped up and suggested he shut down tha affair so folks could wander off ter get a bite ter eat.
“You feed them,” tha Son said.
His crew replied, “Why, we don’t ‘ave that kind of money. Would take more than half a year’s wages ter feed such a crowd. Are we ter go and spend that much on these folks?”
One of his crew went ter tha boat and found five loaves of bread and two fish. Tha Son ordered his crew ter have folks sit in groups of hundreds and fifties. Then taking tha five loaves and tha two fish he looked up ter heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave tha meal ter his disciples ter distribute. He done tha same with tha two fish. Ever lass and feller ate all they wanted. When tha affair be over tha Son ordered his mates ter pick up all that scraps so that nothing would be wasted. They ended up with twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
Now think on this a wee little bit:
* Tha crew had set sail ter get some rest but instead of napping on green grass, tha Son put ’em ter work feeding folks.
* Tha crew had it in thar mind ter send ever one away; tha Son had it in his mind ter have compassion on all who come ter him.
* Tha crew seen how hungry folks be getting; tha Son seen how hungry folks be fer tha words of Skipper.
* Tha crew complained they hath not tha funds ter feed all them folks; tha Son knowed tha truth of thar miserly hearts and simply ask ’em ter round up what food they could.
* Tha crew knowed thar not be enough food ter go ’round; tha Son simply looked up in ter tha face of Skipper and said “thank you, Father.” With Skipper thar always be enough and more.
Thar be all manner of things we could say ’bout this picnic by tha lake, but we ‘ought ne’er ter fergit this one thing: when desperate, hungry folks come ter tha Son he didn’ send ’em packing. No, he had ’em sit fer a spell and fed ’em ’till thar bellies be filled with fish and bread and thar minds be full of Skip’s living words.
Start whar ya be. Start with what ya ‘ave. Start now. Feed ’till all be full.
One day ya ‘ill look back on them ya fed with Skip’s words and find yer self both thankful and grateful fer tha chance ter be counted as a mess-mate fer tha Son, of this ya kin be sure.