Indulgence

I've heard the story of the "loaves and fishes" many, many times.  I never considered it a very good meal. I mean, once you take the miracle part out, it's fish and bread. I don't like fish very much and I can easily live without bread. I remember listening to the Sunday school teacher getting so excited about fish and bread and trying really hard to agree with her while wondering why Jesus didn't give everyone a hamburger and fries.
I had an insight about that the other night.  I was remembering right before Michael and I got married.  Althea was 4.  She didn't understand how we could get more love by adding more people to our family.  I remember sitting on her bed trying to explain that when we share love our hearts grow bigger.  She wasn't buying it.  Love seemed like a finite resource, like a pizza. If you had more people to share with, your piece got smaller.
So on the 8th anniversary of that night, I'm thinking about how our family has grown to include not only Michael and Lauren but Zoe and Vika and little Dude and whole bunch of other people.  Our home and hearts are overflowing with the noise of people we love. 
So if love isn't a pizza with a finite number of slices, what is it? That's easy. Love is loaves and fishes.  Now, I don't really like bread and fish but in Jesus' hands it was an amazing meal. (I'm imaging Long John Silver's fried fish and hush puppies with tons of malt vinegar and tartar sauce) Let's say you're the lady at the very back with three kids. Life is hard and food isn't easy to come by. You and your husband had decided to come see this Jesus.  What he's said is amazing but you didn't get breakfast and the kids are tugging on your robe asking about dinner. You see Jesus bless the food and hand baskets out to the disciples. Your husband is in the group of men up front so you know he will have plenty to eat.  You are back there wondering if there will be enough. Can you feel her stress? Was she telling herself that whatever she gets, she'll give to the kids. She can wait until she gets home.  Was she straining to see if there was enough in the basket? What a wonderful feeling of peace she felt when she looked in the basket that Peter handed her to see that it was full! There was plenty for her kids and for her! Maybe this was the first night they had eaten that well in a long time.  Her babies bellies were full. Her belly was full and Jesus was there to talk to her.  Those hunks of fish and bread were love in "the flesh". 
Through Jesus and his loaves and fishes, I know that love is an infinite resource. He will always supply enough and He will give us people with whom we can enjoy it. The indulgence I mentioned in the title is the indulgence to say what a wonderful husband He has provided for me.  I love the verse where Jesus says if even an earthly father gives you good gifts, how much better are the gifts from your heavenly Father. Michael is indeed a great gift!