The Gift of a Memorable Experience

We don’t hear much about The Fairy Godmother after she comes to the rescue for Cinderella. After giving her a dress, shoes, and transportation to the ball, the Fairy Godmother fades into the background. We do see the happy chain of events that takes place for Cinderella because of the Godmother’s generosity, but we don’t see much of her. 

Jesus also moved to the background after multiplying the loaves and fish. 

The apostles had pointed out to Him that the people were hungry. Jesus’ response was, “Give them some food yourselves.” When they objected, He told them to give Him the few loaves they had. They handed Him that little bit and He miraculously multiplied it. He didn’t distribute it to the people Himself, though; He gave it back to the apostles. Then they gave the food to the crowd themselves, just as He had told them to! 

Jesus gave two gifts that day: the first was the miracle of multiplying bread – more than enough for everyone. The second was the momentous experience for the apostles. As they passed out the food, they saw the people’s jubilant smiles. They heard their profuse ‘thank yous.’ They felt excitement and awe in playing a role in the miracle. 

Jesus didn’t insist on handing out the food Himself; He stepped back after multiplying it. In this way, He gifted the apostles with an experience they’d never forget.

How might we follow His example?

Maybe your child wants to help you plant a vegetable garden. You buy the seeds, show him how to plant them and teach him about sunlight, water, and waiting. You let him do the watering, and you do the weeding together. You show him when and how to pick the vegetables.

Then you walk with your child and let him offer the veggies to your neighbors free of charge. You step back and watch with pride as they happily thank him and ask him all kinds of questions about how he grew them. You see him smile as he answers their questions.

When you do this, the first gift you give your child is knowledge about planting a garden. The second gift is stepping into the background and letting him experience the neighbors’ delight when he shares with them what he has grown.

It’s not surprising that these gifts to others also end up being some of our most treasured memories. 

“He said to them, ‘Give them some food yourselves.’ But they said to Him, ‘Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.’ Then He said, ‘Bring them to Me’… He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.” 

– Matthew 14:16-19

“Lord, help me see how I can step back and give others the gift of a memorable experience.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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