Who has your heart?

It was in a youth service where she met Him. He was invited into her heart and she returned it to Him. He made a promise to never leave her nor forsake her. He showed her His love would be everything she would ever want or need. He would never hurt her, never disrespect her. He was an absolute gentleman and He protected her heart. He was God.

One day, she gently approaches God and says, “Lord, I would like to have my heart back.” God looks at her and says, “Be patient, I want you heart a little while longer.”

Another day, she approaches God again and says, “Lord, I would like to have my heart back.” God looks at her kindly and says, “Be patient. Don’t be so eager to give your heart away.” Reluctantly, she walks away.

Years pass and she approaches God one last time. “God, I cannot wait anymore. Don’t worry Lord; I know what I am doing. Can I have my heart back?” God, being the perfect gentleman, grants her wish and gives her back her heart.

Soon, she meets Mr. Right. Mr. Right says all the perfect things and paints a pretty picture. She gives him her heart, and he says he will take care of her and be everything she ever wanted. Eventually, Mr. Right turns into Mr. Wrong. And in the end, Mr. Wrong tosses her heart to the ground and walks away.

She painfully picks up her heart and does her best to wipe off the dirt, but the stains are permanent.

She finds another guy who sincerely tries to take care of her heart. Eventually, he abandons it in exchange for another. He places her heart on the ground and walks away.

Her heart is hurt and more stains are visible. She once again picks up her heart.

She finds another who says he’s different from every guy she has ever met. He is charming, smart and very smooth. Eventually, she trusts him and gives her heart to him. They share an intimate moment and he looks at her. He was satisfied. He got what he wanted, and he places her abused heart on the pillow and walks away.

This time, she takes her heart and holds it close. There are more missing pieces and her heart is now torn. She cries herself to sleep.

She finds another guy who never had an interest in her heart in the first place. She knew this, but she exposed her heart to him anyway. Even though she didn't exactly give her heart to him, the exposure still caused it damage.

She holds what is left of her heart and cries, wondering if she can ever give her heart away to someone who won’t abuse it.

She finds another guy who willingly holds her heart. He helps her mend it, but he is selfish and knows he cannot keep it. His patience wears thin and he gives her heart back to her worse than when he first received it. He had no real intentions to hurt her or use her, he just did.

She cries because there is not much left of her heart to give away. Her heart is now dirty, abused, neglected, and no longer looks like a heart. It is a pile of pieces and remnants of something that was once pure and whole.

In a final desperate attempt, she tries to give her heart to a friend. He cares for her but doesn’t want her heart enough for her to heal. She still tries to give her heart away because she is missing something. He gently hands her back her heart, and it slips from her hands and onto the floor.

Her heart cannot be broken more than it already is. “Who would ever want my heart”, she thinks to herself. She tries to heal her heart herself (relationship books, empowerment statements, “toughing it out”). But nothing works.

She looks at what is left in her hand and cries then walks into church finding a lone pew. She sobs, letting her tears fall on what is left of her heart.

God approaches her and whispers, “I love you.” By now, the tears are flowing in a steady stream. She has heard those words before, but something is different this time. He asks her for her heart. She holds it closer to herself and tells God she can’t because there is nothing left to offer.

God kneels down in front of her and looks her in her eyes. “You gave me your heart at one time when you knew I was everything. I have a perfect plan in place for your life, yet you became impatient and you thought you knew what was best. I saw you pick up your heart every time it was broken. I was ready to take your broken heart then, but you wouldn’t give it to me. I am perfect in all My ways. Please trust me. May I have your heart?”

In shame, she bows her head. She stretches her cupped hands to expose what is left. In a rush of guilt, grief, and despair, she says, “Here is my heart. This is what is left. The other pieces were torn away a long time ago. I’m sorry, Lord! I wish I could give you more! Instead, I am giving you something that is tattered and broken.”

God wipes her tears and tells her not to cry. Then He tenderly says, “Do you not remember? I am the mender of broken hearts."

                                                                                                                                       Inspired by a friend

                                                                                                                                                                             

Jon

I was assigned to work an area that was known for “Night Zombies” (a “Night Zombie” is a crack addict). They would come out at night so high that they would walk with a strange gait along the street.

I befriended some of the “Night Zombies” in the area and learned their stories. We had a mutual respect for each other and we each knew our place. It was their job to hide the dope and it was my job to find it. As long as they had enough respect to hide what they were doing it would be “all good”. One night, I caught a “Night Zombie” with a crack pipe on a subject stop and I asked her where she bought her crack. She willingly gave me the information in exchange for a pardon. I agreed to her terms, and this is how I met Jon.

Jon was 17 when I first met him. He was the typical white kid who thought he was black: he was trying to be something he was not. He was raised in a nice area of town and had a good family. Unfortunately, Jon was drawn to the thug lifestyle, the money and the power that came with it. He had gotten a girl pregnant and they lived in a dilapidated house on the West Side. The West Side was known for crack sales. And Jon was a crack dealer; well, not really. He was portraying to the world something he was not supposed to be.

Jon became a thorn in my side. If there was a shooting, robbery, or beating, he was some how involved. I lost count the number of times he would run into his home upon seeing me and lock the door. One day I saw his fiancé standing outside their home and I spoke to her. I gave her a warning, informing her that I knew Jon was selling crack from his home. I told her about the possibility of CPS taking their child if he did not stop and she agreed. I then met their son. He was a beautiful baby, a perfect mix of a white dad and black mother. The baby had a smile that would make your heart melt. I told her to warn Jon that he would soon get “caught up.”

Another day, I arrested a parolee who had bought crack from Jon and I notified the narcotics detectives. The undercover detectives started to watch Jon’s residence. Eventually, Jon’s luck ran dry and he was arrested for crack sales. He was booked at Juvenile Hall.

I had also booked another juvenile on an unrelated case and I saw Jon seated nearby in a quiet room. I asked the custodians if I could talk to him. After some small talk, we talked about his baby. I told him his baby had a beautiful smile and he agreed. I told Jon he was better than just being a crack dealer or a “wanna be thug.”  I told him that I saw his potential. Jon listened to what I had to say with tears in his eyes. I told Jon that if he did not change his life, he would either spend it in jail or in a coffin. Either way, his baby would become another statistic of a child without a father.

I told Jon about God’s love for him and I even invited him to church. He was familiar with the church and lived within walking distance. He told me that he would change his life for the sake of his fiancé and his child.

Fast forward almost two years. Jon had not changed his lifestyle. He continued to hide his true potential behind sales of crack. On the West Side, the robberies, shootings, and the beatings continued.

I was dispatched to a shooting at a party in the North Side. Seated on the ground were approximately 20 party goers, and, of course, they did not see or hear anything. I then heard a voice I recognized. It was the voice of Jon. Several people laughed at him because I knew who he was. I asked to speak to him privately.

I asked him how he was doing and he said he was good. He said his fiancé and child were also doing well. I could see Jon was still living the thug lifestyle. Jon laughed when I pointed out he had yellow teeth. Again, he was hiding, this time behind a pair of gold “Grillz.” I reminded Jon that he was better than the lifestyle he was living. I told him that he had potential and he could live a better life if he chose to. Jon said he appreciated me talking to him and he remembered the church I attended. I warned him to be careful and not get “caught up.” Even if he did not see his potential, I did and so did God.

How many people have approached you and said you had potential? Sometimes we look at ourselves and we can’t see our potential. Fortunately, other people can see things that we can’t see. What does God see in us that we can’t see?

Without God we are nothing. That’s a no-brainer. But when everyone else thinks you are nothing, He sees potential in us that no one sees. God will change us and use us to become someone better because He sees something in us. Imagine if God never saw our potential and we were just cast to the side. What kind of life would you and I live?

Imagine if Jesus saw only what everyone else saw. Take Peter for example. He was a crude fisherman. He was not known for his oratory skills, but he was the first to proclaim the Acts 2:38 message. Look at Paul: he was a murder of the Jews. God saw his potential and transformed him to be one of His greatest disciples. What is the common denominator between the two? God looked past what was on the outside, beyond what they and others thought they should be, and saw something greater.

Our life is a reflection of what we think we want to be and sometimes what we did not intend to become. We see ourselves and see nothing. Sometimes it takes an outsider to tell you that you need to change. Sometimes it takes an Outsider to tell you that you have potential.

If someone sees potential in you, your life can be transformed, but you have to be willing to make the transformation. Sometimes it takes faith. I saw potential in Jon and he knew he could change. I told him he would become a better person and a better father. Sadly, neither I nor he will ever know his potential. Jon was shot and killed at a party on January 29, 2011. He was 19.

Call on Me

I recently connected someone I had never met. I received a friend request and  approved it thinking it was someone I knew from school. A day later, I received an email. It was an apology from my new “friend”. She had mistaken me for a person who looks like me. After a few cordial emails, it turned out that we knew the same people.

I noticed her profile picture. The picture showed a well defined man sitting next to her. He was aged and he had a smile on his face. I could only imagine he was absolutely proud to be next to her. She said the gentleman was her father. Her only other pictures were of them and her two dogs. Her mother had passed away some years ago, and she and her dad became inseparable since her death. Not only was this man her father, but he was her pastor and her best friend. She was his right hand woman and he was her rock. She then revealed that the pictures were taken a short time before his untimely death. I was speechless. What can you really say to anyone that lost a loved one? In a vain attempt to offer my condolences I said I was sorry.

This man gave everything for God including his life. Her father was a pastor of a thriving church. It was a Sunday and he went to pray for someone who was on their deathbed. After he prayed, he went to the church to fulfill the role of shepherd to his flock. A few days later, he contracted the sickness of the person he had just prayed for and ultimately passed away. I asked when he passed away and I was told less than a month ago.

My heart sank for her and I quietly prayed. Questions ran through my mind. Why would God allow a man such as this to pass away doing His work? It is a question I am sure I will never know the answer to.

She said it was a habit for her to call her father when she passed his home on her way to work. It was the day after the funeral and she found herself passing his home. Out of habit, she picked up the cell phone to call her father when it hit her; she would no longer hear his voice. He would never call her again to say, “I love you mija.”

It was during this exact moment God spoke to her. He told her that she could always call on Him. She said she now talks to God when she passes her father’s home on her way to work. I smiled when she said she would see her mom and dad again, that they are now reunited in Heaven.

God wants to be in our lives. At times we classify God as Untouchable, Unreachable, and Unknowable. This is the complete opposite. I was blown away by her tremendous faith in God. Here, a young woman lost her father and she tells me that she knows everything is going to be OK. How dare I complain in my situation that God is not doing what I want him to do in the time I want him to do it? God is doing something even though I, like her, may not know exactly why things happen. Everything happens for a reason, but through her amazing testament of faith, I see that God is interested in each of our lives. When we are to the point where we can’t call on anyone else, He is always whispering, “Call on Me.”

God Bless,
EJ Pena

Pressure Ratings/PSI

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend. This person has been instrumental in my life and I have a great deal of respect for him. He was giving me some advice and said that God knew my pressure rating. I asked him to clarify what he meant. He explained that he works in an industry that relies on hoses. There is a pressure rating attached to each hose used. If the pressure in a hose goes beyond the specified limits, the hose will burst. 

A fire hose has a pressure rating measured by PSI. Most of your common fire hoses are constructed of fabric threads that are weaved together to form a shell. Some fire hoses will have a rubber coating on the inside to extend the life of the hose. After a hose is utilized, it is drained and hung to dry. After it is dried it is folded, it is placed back on the fire engine to be used again. Fire hoses are reusable only if they are taken care of by a firefighter. 

Each one of us has a pressure rating. We do not know our pressure rating but God does. Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes life just stinks like a nasty diaper. There are things I have gone through I would not wish on my worst enemy. There were the restless nights; times I felt I could not handle it anymore. There were even the times I felt like bursting the hose by taking my own life. God was always there to show me that He would not give me more than I could bear.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it."                                             

1 Corinthians 10:13

Temptations also known as Trials may come in the form of troubles, afflictions, discouragement. I am sure each of us has experienced some of these. With these experiences there is a way out. He said he is faithful and He said we are able to endure it. God knows our pressure rating and He will not give us so much our hoses will burst. God knows how we are constructed and He knows what we can and cannot take. Every trial you go through and endure adds a strand of fabric to our fire hose. In essence, our hose becomes stronger. OK, let me "EJ Sauce" it up some more and break it down for you.

THE FIRE HOSE: The fire hose is you and I. The fabric created piece by piece is formed into a hose that is rated at a certain pressure rating/PSI that can guide water.

PRESSURE RATING/PSI: The pressure is what you and I can take. This is the allowable water pressure designed for each hose. The hose is set at a specified rating that cannot exceed its limits or it will burst and be useless.

WATER: Water is the trials we go through. We can't control the water going though the hose and it takes a specially trained person to do this. This person is a firefighter.

THE FIREFIGHTER: The firefighter is God.

The hose is controlled by a trained firefighter. The firefighter holding the hose is pointing the hose in a direction to allow the water to freely come out. There are times the firefighter is allowing the water to put out fires. Sometimes our trials put out the fires in other people's lives. After the firefighter uses the hose he will ensure that he takes great of the hose. He will hang the hose to dry and to ensure that there is nothing left to deteriorate us so we could be used again. Just because you are going through a trial, it does not mean that God is not there. Some trials you go through are designed to help someone else.

God Bless,

 EJ PENA

"How Much We Can Bear"

If in your life you are going through

And don't know really what to do

Just call on Jesus he will see you through

For he knows, Jesus he knows

If there is a trial that has come your way

And you are looking for a brighter day

Just call on Jesus he will make a way

For he knows, Jesus he knows

How much we can bear, Jesus he knows how much we can bear

Hezekiah Walker.

The Stickman and the Magic Button

When I was little my mom did not have a car. I remember walking everywhere with her. My mom, younger brother, and I would explore the world. I remember my mom teaching us lessons we would never forget.

When ever we approached an intersection my mom would always tell me to look up look at the signal. I loved looking at the cartoon in the screen. Sometimes a big red hand would show and at other times a stick figure walking. My mom said we were not allowed to cross the street when the red hand is seen. It was OK to cross when you see the stick man walking. She told us to look at the speeding cars flying past. She was teaching us a lesson that she loves us and did not want us to be hit by a car.

Mom also said to look at the lines on the ground. We were told we were not allowed to deviate from the lines when we crossed the street. We could only cross the street when I saw the stick man walking and we had to stay between the lines. She explained the lines are a safety zone that the cars are supposed to stay behind when we were given permission to cross the road by the stick man in the screen.

Then my mom showed me the magic button. I was in awe, there was a button on the pole. It was something I wanted to push and my mom explained that if I needed to cross the road to push the button and soon the stick man will give me permission to cross the road. I could barely reach the button and I stretched my little arms and I finally did it. Nothing happened, so I feverishly pushed the button more. Nothing happened. I looked at my mom in confusion and she said be patient. Despite what she said, I pushed the button a ton of times until I was tired. As soon as I could not push the button anymore my mom was already yelling at me to hurry to cross the road. I was so busy pushing the button that I almost missed the stick man in the screen telling me it was OK to cross the road.

At every intersection I would get excited because I got to push the magic button. I learned quickly that I could push the button at the same time staring at the red hand to change into the walking stick man. I would still push the button until it changed. My mother would laugh and tell me I would only need to push the button once but I was impatient so I pushed the button until the stick man said it was OK to cross the road.

Forward 30 years later, I was at an intersection today and I was pushing the magic button. The shape of the button had changed, it was bigger, but nevertheless it was still a magic button. I knew that if I pushed it, something would happen. For kicks and giggles, I pushed it until the stick man said I could cross the road. Still to this day, I remember my mom telling me to stay in the lines. Now when I cross the road, I look out for the clown who does not know how to stop behind the line. I have given several drivers the death look for invading my safe zone.
Let's explain how the crosswalk and the magic button work. "A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely across the road. On some traffic signals, pressing a button is required to trigger the signal.

I know by now you are wondering why in the world I am educating you on crosswalks and magic buttons. When a magic button is pressed a signal is sent letting the stick man know that someone needs to cross the road. The stick man will not allow you to cross the road just yet at times. The stick man lets the lights know when to change to make sure it can notify the cars that they need to stop so you can cross safely. Don't be too impatient, if you cross the road with out the stick man's permission you could still be hit by car.

The magic button you press are the prayers you pray. That prayer is a signal and is automatically sent to God that you have a prayer that needs to be answered. God heard the prayer. Sometimes we have to wait to get an answer. Sometimes we get frustrated and we keep on saying the same prayer because we don't think he heard us. The stick man heard the prayer and he is saying to be patient, it's not time to cross the road. You become more irritated that the stick man is not letting you cross. So you do it on your own and you are hit by a car. You not have been killed but you learned the hard way not to cross the road without the stick man's permission.

Sometimes the stick man is just waiting for you to get in the lines before he lets you cross the road. He is willing to let you cross the road but you have to align yourself to him. When everything is right and you are in his lines, His boundaries, He lets you cross the road safely and answers the prayer you prayed.

Pushing the magic button is an act of faith. It's a request that you make to God in hopes He will answer. Sometimes he just does not want us to cross the intersection because we can’t see what's on the other side so he opens another intersection in our lives to cross. The stick man sees what's on the other side and for some including me, we have crossed some intersections because we were impatient and we thought we knew best. We have learned the hard way.

Some of you are still waiting at the intersection, waiting for the stick man to say you can cross the road. You don't have to push the button until you discourage yourself. The stick man received the signal and he is clearing a way for you to cross the road. Sometimes the stick man receives the signal but He won't let you cross because you are standing outside the lines. Here are basic instructions to safely cross the street (Get a prayer answered). Press the magic button (Pray), stand on the sidewalk middle to the lines (Be aligned to where God wants you to be), look at the signal wait to see the stick man (Look up to God and wait until you get an answer), then safely cross the road (Answered prayer). Getting an answer is not hard. Just push the magic button, look, and wait.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

How did the chicken cross the road? He pecked the magic button.

Nothing Into Something

In a world where the worst is seen, there is a God that sees the complete opposite. It is the same God who uttered the words, "Let there be light.", in complete darkness, and there was light. He took nothing of the void and created the world to be his art piece. He turned nothing into something. When everyone sees nothing, God always sees something.

God has a habit of taking the worst of nothing and turning it into the best of something. God gravitates to the worst people and makes them the best people. If God can use the nothingness of a donkey to talk, the nothingness of a child to feed thousands, the nothingness of a teenager to destroy an enemy of a nation, what could he so with our nothingness? When everyone sees nothing, God always sees something.

Circumstances we face or the trials we go through are nothing to God because he will take that nothing and turn it around to become something better. It's hard to fight a battle of mind because its the Devil's playground. The things we dwell on in out mind are nothing to God because he is ready to take the nothing and turn it around. In our mind we are nothing. When we see nothing, God always sees something.

It does not matter what we have done or the mistakes we have made. God has already see the outcome of what we will become. It does not matter what people say. It does not matter what people do. God has already taken the nothing and turned it into something. If God gave us his everything so we could become a something, what nothing can stand before us? He is a God that looks at what we became not what everyone says we are supposed to be. When I think I'm nothing, God says I'm something.

God is more interested in us than what people think of us. God is more interested in what we will become than what people think we are. God sees a redeemed person when everyone says you have fallen and you lost everything. When I think I am nothing, when everyone says I am nothing, God steps in and takes the nothing to show me and everyone else, I became a something.

God Bless,
EJ PENA


A Boy's View

The day was like any other, not wanting to get out of bed.  He voiced his disapproval. A night of long sleep, disturbed by a voice, “Get out of bed you little sleepyhead.” In groaning and in disgust he gets out of bed. Only a few minutes more he wished in his head.

It does not mention exactly what this boy had to do for the day. It does not mention where he had to go. It only mentions where he was at during this particular in his life and what he offered.

“I can’t believe my mother had to wake me up this early. Why can’t she understand that I am a growing boy and I need…my...beauty sleep! Where did I put my bag? Mom, do you know where my war bag at? Never mind mom I found it. Slingshot, check, ammunition, check, knife, check, food, Oh yeah can’t forget that.”

The boy had a vivid imagination and he had to make sure he was prepared for anything that came his way. You never know, today it could be his day to kill a bear, a lion, or a giant. In this case he was hoping to kill all three in one day. He runs into the kitchen and he grabs the stool. He feverishly raids the cabinets for any food he can take with him on his mission. He lifts up a towel and jackpot. He just found the fish jerky. He looks around hoping no one would see him and takes two of the biggest pieces of fish jerky. Near the fire he sees fresh homemade loaves of bread. He dashes towards fire and grabs as many that will fit in his war bag. He took five pieces to be exact because that is all that would fit. “I love you mommy,” he shouts as he runs outside to play.

Being a curious child, curiosity would often get him into trouble from time to time because he was a little bit to imaginative. He would pretend he was he a spy in the land of Jericho and he did his best to overhear the conversations of the adults. Usually the conversations consisted of the men complaining about their wives and politics. The women would complain about their men being lazy.

There was something different about today. The boy was no longer hearing the conversations of complaining men and women. He was hearing stories of awesome things. In his little mind, he wanted to know who they were talking about. He knew it was something big. This time the adults were not trying to shoo him away for being a pretend spy. He followed the adults and as he continued to hear stories of great faith and miracles.

The little boy followed the adults towards the shore. There were people as far as the eye could see. Well not actually, his only view was the person’s backside in front of him because he was so short but, he knew it was lot of people. He was told to shush because He was asking too many questions. Finally someone told the boy it was Jesus and His disciples so he would shut up.

Remember that he was a boy and I am sure that he was not interested in hearing a bunch of adults talk even if it was Jesus and the Disciples. As he starts to walk through the crowd, he imagines that he is a secret agent looking for the enemy. He stops and listens and begins to hear people whispering to each other that they were starting to get hungry.
The boy took pride in knowing that he had prepared himself for whatever came his way. The boy knew the adults should have prepared themselves as well. Inside his war bag was the rations of food he would eat on his missions.

The boy hears a Disciple shout if anyone had food. The boy knew that this was not just anyone asking so he raised his hand. An adult nearby slapped his hand and scolded him for being disrespectful. The boy pressed through the crowd knowing he had something to offer and he had a new mission. He had to give what he had to the disciple.

As the boy pressed deeper in the crowd it became increasingly difficult for him. The adults were giving him dirty looks and telling him to go home because he had no business there. The boy clutched his war bag and knew that he had to complete the mission. His little voice would shout, “I have food.” The adults began to push him back because he was annoying them. In desperation he began to crawl towards the Disciples. He crawled between the legs of adults who kicked him away. Imagine the anger and disgust they displayed because they thought he was a disrespectful little boy was playing.  Just a few more feet the boy thought to himself. Finally he stretched his hand and touched the dusty and dirty feet of a Disciple.

The Disciple was shocked to see such a small hand grabbing his dirty feet. He was annoyed because he was tired, hungry, and now some little hand was tickling his big toe. The boy crawled closer and the crowd around him was now angry because he was touching a Disciple. The Disciple asks the boy what he wanted. The boy in his excitement told the Disciple that he wanted to show him his war bag.

“This is my war bag. I go everywhere with it. I keep my survival things inside. I have a slingshot and lots of ammo. I have my pocket knife in case I have to cut the head off a giant. My momma won’t let me have a sword. She says I am too young. I have my toys and I also have what you have been asking for. I have food. I have two big fish jerky pieces and five loaves of bread my mommy made this morning. “

The Disciple smiled and knew that out of the crowd of five thousand there was one person who came prepared. Although it was a child, someone came prepared. The boy said, “This is all I have to give.” Throughout the day, the boy had heard all the stories of faith of what Jesus and the Disciples had done. The boy knew if Jesus was asking for food he would give Him what everything he had.

The Disciple took the boy to Jesus.  Jesus looks down and looks into the eyes of this child. The boy looked at Jesus in awe and knew something was about to happen. The boy watched Jesus bless the fish jerky and homemade bread. Right before his eyes he saw the blessings of God multiply the food. He hears Jesus tell all of the Disciples to distribute the food to the crowd.

The boy receives his portion of food after Jesus received his and started to walk away. Jesus tells the boy to stop and asks him to come back to him.  Jesus looked at the boy and asks him to eat with him. Jesus thanks the boy and begins to talk to him.

“You were the only one out of the five thousand that I could use. You came prepared. It did not matter what people said or did, you still pressed on. You gave me all you had. I took what seemed to be nothing and made it into something. All those who tried to stop you are now looking at you because they wish that they were in your position of blessing. I never asked for much. I just asked if anyone had food. I did not say how much food I needed. There were those who had food in their pockets but they chose to keep it and not give it to me. They forgot what I can do and how I could multiple anything. Everyone is fed because you were willing to give me what you had. I am in the business of blessing those who are willing to make the sacrifices. You sacrificed everything to give me what you had. You sacrificed your time and well being. I showed everyone a great lesson today. Never judge a book by its cover. If you have a desire to be used, I will use you. I will take what you have no matter how small and insignificant. When you go back home, you will be remembered. You made your way into everyone’s heart even if it was through their stomachs. “

The boy had the biggest smile on his face. He was a celebrity in the eyes of the five thousand. Jesus pats the boy on the head and tells him to go home before it gets dark. As the boy walks away, Jesus asks the boy to pass a message to his mother. “Tell your mommy she’s a good cook.”