6 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces.
I love gardening and find it very relaxing. In my yard, I have a stone that reads "An hour in the garden puts life's problems in perspective." I particularly like flowering plants because of the vibrant colors that are displayed in one single flower. My mother passed along her love of gardening to me and it is my hope that my daughter finds enjoyment in planting flowers someday. It takes tons of hard work and water, but the payoff is worth it.
Bulbs are one of my favorites. I find it interesting how the bulbs clump together and multiply. If they are taken care of by breaking the bulbs apart, they just make more and more plants. At first, they may not look so healthy, but given time they rebound and make more bulbs.
This is true in our lives as well. When we are broken, (and we are ALL broken) we can become bitter. Or, we can become better. After Jesus gave thanks for the bread, He broke it. Out of the broken bread came abundance. If we stay in the hands of Jesus during times of brokenness, abundance will flow out of that obedience. But if we don't, bitterness can creep in and like an untended garden where bulbs can be choked out and die.
Brokenness is a fundamental part of living in abundance! Jesus told us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. That means we can't live an abundant life either. Your perspective of the broken life can and will determine your future. Yes, His grace is sufficient. Yes, He will carry you through tough times. And yes, there is a life of abundance in brokenness. So...embrace the basket full's of broken bread and become better, not bitter. Being broken is inevitable, but you determine the outcome by staying focused on God's grace.
*Edited moved to Wordpress file March 5, 2019
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