Lord, Break the Bread and Bless This Mess

I listened as my neighbor shared that she saw my home in the foreclosure section of the newspaper. I’d never been through a foreclosure, so I didn’t know it was public information. I thanked her for the call and told her I’d be alright. I was anything but alright. 

A single mother of three children, I’d been back and forth with my lender trying to stay afloat. Now there seemed to be little hope for our situation. Strangers started to appear and walk around my home checking out their next prospective property. But it was still our little safe haven. It was a blessed inheritance for me and my three. I kept on managing life and trying to protect the children from knowing how close we were to being without a home.

I brought the kids together and told them that we were going to pray the same prayer we had been praying—that God would provide a home for us. We would not speak anything in opposition to this confession. Inside, I was still scared and broken. But my children began to have dreams about the next home we would have. I marveled at this and continued to pray and hope for a miracle. 

The miracle-working power of Jesus is displayed in the story of the loaves and fishes, where He provided in a seemingly impossible situation:

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” Mark 8:1-9 (NIV)

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. 

Jesus was with that crowd and He was with my family. Like the disciples, I saw the enormity and the impossibility of the situation, while Jesus was standing right there. 

God eventually had me take inventory of my options. I reached out to a friend who managed an apartment complex. She told me about a home that had recently become vacant. She was reluctant to tell me about this opening because she knew I did not want to leave my family home. She was right, but God had a better plan of provision. 

Eventually, we were able to move into a spacious home with enough room for us all. God “sat me down” so He could “break the bread” and supply the blessing we really needed. He multiplied our space and satisfied our hearts.

What is the messy, impossible situation you are facing right now? Give it to God, with thanks, and allow Him to show you His compassion. Trust Him to exceed your expectations. 

Lord, we recognize that You care for us and want to provide our every need. We humble ourselves and wait to receive Your miracle of abundance in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.