So, you have to wonder why I felt my heart rise up in my chest on the last day, when I saw there were only six left! As any of the kids could have told you, when Jesus is around, amazing things happen.
We were not just talking ABOUT the Bible this week; we were reading it out loud. We wanted the kids to understand that reading the Bible was something they could do, something that was a blessing, something that was worthwhile. So, of course, we wanted to make sure that each child has access to a Bible of their own.
On Wednesday we asked who needed and wanted a Bible. It seemed like 21, or 23. Or maybe it was 22. But, certainly it was not more than 25. Kids are a little hard to nail down on these things. They wiggle, and wave both arms. So, we made sure we had 25, and a few backups, just in case.
But, on the last day – Friday - when we went asked again, it turned out our number was way too low. Of the 25 we had, we gave out 10 in the first of the four groups. We raided the upstairs Sunday School classrooms for the new Children’s Bibles we keep on hand there. There were 12 or 15 more, but even with that addition, by the third rotation, we were asking children we knew if we could “please!” get them their Bible on Sunday instead…if siblings could share….if…
Even with the holding back, at the very beginning of the fourth class, there were only six Bibles left. I went over to the counter and set aside the empty boxes. I ran my hands up and down the stack of six colorful, NIRV Bibles and counted them, twice - six, just six left. My heart leapt up in my chest…how could we turn a child away that wanted a Bible? We talked about what to do – and we made a list. This child has a sister that got a Bible, that child
could get a younger child’s version, which we have. Those kids agreed to wait until Sunday. We whittled the list to the six children that must get a Bible.
So, as with the other groups, we began putting in the child’s name, and signing the Bibles. We passed them around to the adult“Pilots” and “Crew Members” to sign, to encourage the children, and remind them of the verses they had looked up this week. Suddenly, I was handed a Bible, yet every child on that list of six seemed to have received one. I was confused at first,“Wait, who still needs a Bible? Why do we have so many Bibles?”
Every one of the six had a Bible, and yet we still had more…so we gave one to the siblings who would have had to share, and one to the children we had asked to wait until Sunday. We went back and inscribed Bibles to the children from the second and third groups that were
going to share or wait…and yet there were still more Bibles. We took Bibles into the Sanctuary as the kids sang, making sure every single child who had expressed that they wanted a Bible, got one. And still, we did not run out of Bibles. Where were these Bibles coming from?
When all was said and done, we actually had one Bible left. Where did all those Bibles come from? I don’t know. But, Jesus made it enough!
...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 6:8-9
Blessings on your week! I challenge you to keep your heart open, and watch for the ways in which "Jesus is enough" in your life -
Cara
Classic Christianity