Book 1 of Musings A Few Small Fish

Accept the large with grace, but always be thankful for the small blessings of God.

What started me on this topic was a clause I noticed during my devotional reading. It is found in the Gospel of Mark, where the Lord Jesus was feeding the crowd by a miracle.

The words I noticed are as follow: "They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also." Now the Lord already had taken the seven loaves of bread and given thanks.

You would think the Lord would have thanked God for the bread and the fish, and then distributed them.

No, He gave thanks for the seven loaves and gave them to His disciples to set before the people.

Then the Lord took a few small fish and gave thanks for them also.

That was what struck me, "He gave thanks for them also."

I commented to Audrey at the time, because it seemed so unusual.

But isn't it the truth?

We are likely to give thanks for some great blessing in our life (sometimes we don't even do that).

But how about the few small fish, the daily blessings and answers to prayer.

Do we take them for granted?

We don't get much rain here in Southern California. So when it does rain, I thank the Lord for every drop, thinking what it means to us and to the little wild animals that trust God for their survival.

We have been short of annual rainfall for a couple of years now. This morning it spattered a few drops and then quit. I am praising God for those few drops.

Every Sunday morning Audrey and I praise God for the strength (we are in our seventies) and opportunity to serve God on one more day. I think there are many people in the spirit realm who would give anything to be able to serve God one more day on the earth.

I thank God when the weather is warm, for I was born in Maine and raised in Connecticut. I praise God when the weather is cold, because it rejuvenates me and I feel like a horse on a windy day.

I can still play the piano - something to be thankful for.

Many of my aches and pains have been worked out as I have insisted on keeping going. Something to be thankful for.

The dog is healthy. Something to be thankful for. There is enough food in the house. Something to be thankful for. I am confident concerning the future even if war does come; because I know the Lord will provide for me and my loved ones. I look forward to death like I used to think of Christmas when I was a boy.

Such peace of mind is something to be thankful for.

I got up this morning warm, healthy, clothed, fed, and ready to serve God.

Thank you Lord!

What about you?

What "few small fish" do you have that you can be thankful for today?

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. (Mark 8:6-7)

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