See You Can Handle It

Mark 6:41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

Wouldn’t it be nice to send your friends on a cruise and you catch up to them later, the friends that sometimes disappoint you. They drop the ball when you were expecting them to come through with more than five loaves and two fish. You made the best of a bad situation. They come unprepared and ill-equipped for the mission. The MVOSI (mission, vision, objective, strategy and implementation) was set and it barely worked like it was supposed to. You don’t get mad you just put their butts in a boat and set it adrift on the sea. You don’t want them to drown you just want them to feel the discomfort you felt only hours before. I don’t think Jesus was thinking like I am but I can’t help it. They come to the party without music. They come to the game without food. They want to leave early. They are always arguing and fighting with the customers. They are never happy. They procrastinate. The come early when you don’t need them and stay later than you want them to. Remember before when I mentioned self-care? Good. Jesus demonstrates that it is important to separate and get away to think and pray. The view from the mountainside is stunning and breathtaking. You look down and the big old world that now seems small and insignificant. Your problems and issues begin to fade with the setting sun and now it is time to enjoy your own mind and prayers. Telling the Father all about what went wrong and then losing your self in intercessions, groaning and utterances. It is the “golden time of day.”

Don’t be afraid to take some me-time. Assign the time, plan the mini-retreat, take your chair, small cooler and book. Buy the ticket and enjoy the concert. Go to the preaching session or the cantata by yourself. Let the angels of the Lord encamp around you and minister to your tired body, mind and spirit. You will need this respite because the winds will be contrary and the nights long, lonely and dark. You may become fearful, doubtful and remorseful but look out into the sky and listen for your heartbeat that says “I’m here.” Your friends did not understand what was going on, it was not their fault, they just did not understand the whole bread and fish thing. Get your rest.