Gather Up the Fragments

Recently I was reading the Bible and I read a familiar passage of scripture that is found in both Matthew 14:13-21 and again John 6:6-12. It is a familiar passage of scripture. There isn't a Sunday school child that has not heard of the "Fishes and Loaves" But if you would allow me I want to share something that just stuck out to me this time around. It is taken from John's Gospel chapter 6 verse 12 and it says, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost" For years I have said that the church is a place of imperfect people serving a perfect God doing the best that they can. While that is true when we assemble ourselves we are much like those whom our Savior fed on that day: there are those who sit down and feast off of what the Lord has provided on that day. We eat until we are filled and then we are ready to go and there are those of us who are called on to be manifestations of the grace and glory of God in allowing the miracles to take place through us much like the disciples service people and the fish and bread never running out. We are so pumped by what the Lord has done and allowed us to be a part of and we too are filled and satisfied. We depart prayerfully to serve until we assemble again. However, so often we neglect to follow this little statement of the Lord...We neglect to gather up the fragments that nothing be lost. It appears that the days are gone when we feel one another in the body of Christ. It is as if the eye has learned how to function independently of the brain and the legs go wherever they choose attached to the body or not. On can hurt deeply and sit in the presence of the Lord, His ministers, and followers and no one feel their pain, their heart cry, their petition before the Lord. It is as if we are all so busy feeding and tending to ourselves, interest and needs that we forget that there are fractured broken people (fragments) in our midst. Even more tragic is that we leave from feasting and do not carry anything out with us to give to those in the highways and hedges.(More fragments). After the people were filled they were instructed to gather up the fragment so that nothing be lost. It is not enough to give the civil hug, hold the superficial brief conversation. We much gather up the fragments. We must make sure that they don't get left behind especially in the house. Who are some of the fragments in the house? Well, those suffering from depression, or some other mental illness; the one having marital issues and suffering in silence, the one who is returning to a nonexistent home with no food to eat, the grandmother at a loss as to how to raise her grandchildren while worrying about her child; those suffering from drug and other addictions and the shame and destruction that it has brought. There are fragments scattered all throughout your local assemblies Do you see them? Can you feel them? Our Lord is soon to return, and we don't want any of our brothers and sisters left behind when we have the ability to gather them up. Therefore, this month I am going to do something different. This month I am issuing you a challenge. Grab a basket and begin to gather up the fragments in your environment that remain so that nothing will be lost. From the heart Dr. Patricia Lott