Together We Can Do Anything

In the Gospel named for John chapter 6 we read the story of the feeding of the 5000. A couple of years ago I wrote a paraphrase of this story.

John 6: The First Pot Luck

Paraphrase by Valerie Peyton Kingsbury

They came to him with hunger
For food on which to live
Hanging on his every word
And to them he did give

Jesus spoke to them of love
Of mercy and of joy
And told them all the blessings
God gave them to enjoy

He spoke to them of giving
All that they had and more
He shared with them a mission
Creation to restore

That day on the mountainside
5,000 souls were fed
All because a little boy
Shared his fish and bread

This was the first pot luck! Empowered by the generosity a small child, others shared what they had, and there was more than enough for everyone.

Women Who Care Truro

Last night I, once again, sat in an auditorium with 400 or so women.( 100+ Women who Care Truro) We were gathered for the sole purpose of supporting our community. Some of the women I knew very well, others were people I had met once or twice before and still others were strangers. For this moment in time though we were sisters, connected by a common vision. Our time together was short, just under an hour. At the end of the time one non-profit organization whose work betters the life of people in our community, walked away with approximately $14,000 to continue their work. These women come together every three months and each time a different organization is the recipient of their generosity. By sharing our fish and bread thousands are fed in body, mind and spirit.

Together We Can Do Anything

When Jesus began his ministry the first thing he did was gather around him people who would share the vision and work to make it reality. He knew the value of community. He knew the necessity of sharing the load, pooling resources and celebrating the gifts of all. We often forget this reality even when it is demonstrated over and over again. When we try to do something alone the road is longer, the barriers are more difficult to tear down and we will , most certainly, reach a point when we can do no more. But together, united by a common vision, sharing gifts and talents and resources we can do anything and we can change the lives of people, one step at a time.

May it be so!

Blessings
Valerie