Full

 May 5, 2023

It’s nearly 10:00 pm. Linda and I have cleaned up the kitchen, put the leftovers in the fridge and the dishes in the dishwasher. We’re both tired, but it’s been a good day. Friends for dinner, conversation, and prayer is hard to beat. As we wrapped up, we noted that we’ve been meeting like this since December ‘04, nearly every month. In that time, we’ve seen God answer prayers, sometimes quite slowly, but faithfully as we kept bringing the same names and situations before him over the years. Sometimes when the answers are not immediately forthcoming, it’s tempting to wonder if our prayers make any difference. At the very least, they shape the way we look at life, how we interact with people. Sometimes circumstances change; always, we change.

I can’t help but think of our Cuban brothers and sisters as we filled the fridge with our leftovers. Gas and diesel is almost unobtainable, and what is available costs $5/liter. This, for people whose monthly income is less than $30. A pound of rice eats up a quarter of their monthly income. Their economy is groaning to a complete halt. Leftovers in the fridge are a luxury we take for granted, but they haven’t known in years.

So tonight, I go to bed with a full stomach and heart. My friends may have the full heart, but not the stomach, and many of my friends have the full stomach but an empty heart. If you have both, you are doubly blessed. And if you only have the one, pray for the other, not only for yourself, but for all those who stand in need of the full blessing of God.