On rice seeds and bounty

Today the sermon came from 2 Corinthians 9, sowing bountifully, and again I found that the sermon on "giving" which I could have tuned out as yet another attempt by desperate church leaders to raise money, was instead spirit-directed to reassure and comfort me. The pastor used rice as the example (no wheat here), the tiny seed which is mysteriously transformed and multiplied. The more you sow, the more you reap, the posture of cheerful expectant hope, willing giving. Then the promise of v. 8: God is the one who multiplies and makes sufficient, just as He did with the five loaves and 2 fishes. It is all grace.

I found myself profoundly tired sitting on that church bench, and let my mind wander a moment to analyze why, reviewing the last three days. The Kwejuna Project Distribution/team meeting/visitors arriving day on Thursday, followed by the marathon Christ School Parents' Day on Friday, mingled with an unplanned visit by a remarkably talented and personable young man filming footage for a possible documentary project about Ebola whose questions dredged up hard memories and a few tears. Saturday is usually a bit of a catch-up organize cook and pay attention to kids day . . . but this week as I tallied I could think of no less than 28 visitors, 27 of whom were people that I know fairly well and share significant relationship with and truly want to attend to when they drop in to greet or talk or present their problems. The first came by 7:30 and the last left at about 10 pm. In the middle of all that dealing by phone with Godfrey's diagnosis and talking to Luke. Oh, and feeding my family and playing a game or two with kids. No wonder I feel tired.

The promise stands: sufficiency for all things, abundance for every good work. Giving extravagantly, receiving bountifully. May God multiply our small scatterings of seed to bring a richness of glory.