Feeding ducks!

Sometimes I feel like my Titles are very random, apologies for that! The other week I went for a run along the lake where we live, at one point I practically had to stop as a ridiculous amount of ducks crossed the path in front of me, waddling their way across the lawn to get to a man who was handing out bread to them! It was a funny sight, not to mention the loud and consistent quacking!


It’s a random story, as are many of the things that take place in my life! However it made me think about Jesus feeding the 5000! Jesus was tired, He was grieving, He’d just learnt that John the Baptist had been killed and Jesus had gone off to a quiet place, but the crowd had followed. Jesus amazes me that despite how He was feeling; He could see that the crowd were hungry – yes for physical food which He provided too – but more than that, for Spiritual food. So He fed them. He taught them and gave them food that they didn’t realise they even needed. I can just imagine that crowd of 5000+ people, almost being like those ducks wandering along, ‘quacking’, making their way up the mountain because they were hungry, perhaps they didn’t know why they were going, but there was something about this man that they needed and wanted.

I wonder, if in my life, I am presenting as the kind of person that people are drawn to; the kind of person that despite what I’m going through or what life throws at me, other people feel that there’s something about me that they want or need, perhaps without even realising it. It also makes me look at what I am feeding people. Those ducks came in droves because there was something that they wanted from that man at the lake-he had bread-food for their bellies! The crowds came because there was something they wanted from Jesus, he had bread, for their spirits and the bonus of bread and fish for their bellies! What do people get when they come to me? Do they get negativity and whinging and sadness and leave feeling empty or do they get generosity and positivity and faith and honesty mixed with trust in God and joy and ‘food’ for their spirits. Am I the kind of person who feeds others with goodness that leaves them feeling full but wanting more of my company, more of what I possess?

Matthew 5vs13-16 in The Message says this…

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

I love that so much; let me tell you why you are here – you are here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth and light to bring out the God-colours in this world! Amazing!

I want to encourage us today, to examine our hearts and our motives and to resolve to be people who act with integrity, people who love God and love others, people who are generous with our lives, people who are attractive to those around us and people who bring out the God-flavours of this earth and bring out the God-colours in this world! What a mandate!

Sending you much love today wherever you are… Go add some salt-seasoning to someone’s life, go and add some light to someone’s darkness, feed them with richness that will leave them wanting more of you and more of Jesus in you!

Love Jodie