Day 2 of The Journey

Yesterday we read from Leviticus 7:11-17

Today I want to glance at verses 12 – 14 in particular,

¹² If you offer it to give thanks, you must offer some bread together with it. Use the finest flour to make three kinds of bread without yeast—two in the form of loaves mixed with olive oil and one in the form of thin wafers brushed with oil. ¹³ You must also make some bread with yeast.¹⁴ Give me one loaf or wafer from each of these four kinds of bread, after which they will belong to the priest who splattered the blood against the bronze altar.

Thanksgiving offerings required something extra, something the other freewill offerings did not require.  They required the addition of bread.

Think for a moment about whenever you read of Jesus breaking bread.  Whether it be to feed the 5000, or to share the last supper with his disciples, we see the breaking of the bread coming with thanks. 

Mark 6:41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 

Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

And yes, there is something to be said for giving thanks at mealtimes, whether you call is saying “grace” or by some other name, but I think there is more to this than that.  I think thankfulness, particularly in the tough times, costs us something.  It can mean letting go of what has been, what might have been, what could be, not trying to continue or replicate that in our own strength and looking for where God is at work in the here and now, today.

While doing some reading online today in preparation for these notes I came across some lyrics from an Avalon song:

The dreams I dream for you, are deeper than the ones you're clinging to. 

More precious than the finest things you do, and truer than the treasure you pursue. 

Let the old dreams die, like stars that fade from view.

Then take the cup I offer, and drink deeply of the dreams I dream for you.  

Sometimes being thankful means letting go, because only then can God move in and begin the next part of our story, only then can we take the next step on the journey. 

I had to do this recently myself as God asked me to step aside from something I love dearly, something I have done for over 15 years and have seen as my calling, even part of my identity.  The words God used were “I have so much I want to give you right now, but I can’t because your hands are full”. 

Is there something that while good and positive and something you give thanks for on a regular basis that he might be asking you to set aside?  It probably won’t be a big huge thing, and I doubt this applies to everyone, but is there something?  As you give thanks today, what needs to be broken, so God can give you more?

You can check out the sites I link up to over in my sidebar. Before you go, why not check out my recipes index page, or my craft projects index page, I am sure you will find something there to interest you.