Leftovers

My PoP says “God does not let everything pack up at the same time”. He draws on several scripture examples to illuminate that God uses what is left(leftovers), not what is lost.

The blind Bartimaeus and several other blind people in scripture that Jesus healed lost their sight, but God used what was left (voice and ears) to fix what was lost. In almost every miracle, he argues that God uses what is left to fix what was lost. If they are disabled, their sight or hearing is not lost, so what is left becomes the ingredient to attend to what was lost. The lepers lost the purity of their skin but still had the sense (presence of mind), which is what is left to go after Jesus so he could use what was left to fix what was lost. Think of every miracle in scripture. Despite all that may not be working, there is a tiny little thing working that was left over that God used to fix what was lost.

One day, I heard SJR talk about the pronunciation of judgment given to Eve after the fall. The judgment was that the serpent would bruise her heel and that she, in turn, would crush the head of the serpent. According to her, one will think that the brokenness or imperfections arising from the bruised heel of the woman meant she was weak, powerless, hopeless, and doomed for destruction. But then we are amazed to read that with the same brokenness or bruised heel, she crushed the head of the serpent. They lost their innocence, but God works with what is left. Her bruises were what God used for her subsequent success. I used to think humanity lost everything in the garden, but I realize they lost everything but the bruised heel. The bruised heel left over from the fall crushed the head of the serpent to give us what was lost.

It seems that our limitations, brokenness, and bruised heels do not disqualify us but may actually qualify us. Malcolm Gladwel’s book David and Goliath provides a practical illustration of this.

I think God seems to like to work with leftovers; hence, after the miracle of feeding the five thousand, Jesus told the disciples to gather the leftovers because he loves to work with what is left, not what is lost.

I am learning to trust him with what is left. Learning to strengthen the things that remain and not those who left. These days, I tell him, I trust you with my leftovers! Do what you do with leftovers!

While I trust God, I also look intently to see within and around me what is left that I can use to negotiate what is next in my professional and personal life. For my nation, Nigeria, if there is political will, there is something left that can fix what was lost.

On a somewhat funny note, for those who tease Igbomina people for our “Ewu Iyan” (pounded yam left over till the following day), I hope you learn we mimic God, who works with leftovers.

Happy Weekend People!

Posted on Facebook on August 17, 2024