Hi everyone,
So a couple weeks ago one of our kids asked us for a specific game so they could play online with their friends. I wondered why they wanted such a game when all of our kids have multiple ways to connect with their friends online. Apparently this game was special in that it was one of their friends’ favourite game.
At first I just said sure, as some of these games aren’t really all that costly, and I’m all for having more ways to connect with peers and sharing in community. But then we saw the price tag… turns out the game actually is costly, at least, it’s a bit more than I was willing to pay for something that might not even be played.
So we figured out an alternate route, we’ll just borrow the game from the library so this kid could test it out and see if they would even play. When I saw the game, I was thinking this was overly complicated and there’s no way that this kid would retain their attention on it. So I was totally comfortable going this route.
The game finally came available and we got it right away. It sat for a whole day before anyone even looked at it. But once they did… They couldn’t put it down. And from the looks of it, they’re holding their own too, and having a blast playing online with their friends.
I guess we can’t put a price on community. It seems like it would be worth a few bucks knowing that they are creating lasting bonds with their peers. I just wish it wasn’t so many bucks.
Here are the readings for next week:
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Well, this is a familiar story. The story we find in the gospel, at least, which in turn makes the story out of 1 Kings familiar (but also not). But we know what happens, there isn’t enough food but then miraculously there is enough food.
And with that food, comes community, relationship, and blessing. Abundant blessing, enough to literally overflow, enough to satisfy, and have some left over.
You might have heard me say this before, but whatever the miracle is in these stories, the truth is that community was had. People bonded over this impossible food that they didn’t think they’d have. They were blessed and given much, more than enough.
And so we can’t put a price on community. We can’t gauge the value of blessing. We can’t size up the probability of God’s presence through relationship and write it off as impossible.
Because God works in ways we don’t always understand or predict. God’s blessing comes in abundance where we might think is only scarcity. God’s presence is among us always, joining us together, empowering us to love, and showing us how we can live for and serve the other in surprising yet fulfilling ways. There is plenty to go around!
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash