This morning I think I experienced the “shimmering” Don and I learned about at a spiritual formation conference: a moment when words from God’s Word shimmer on the page or resonate in our hearts; when the universal becomes particular; when the truth of all times becomes truth in our time; when the truth of the world becomes truth in our world.
I was reading a familiar Old Testament Elijah story (I King 17:8).
When the widow was asked to help the prophet, she had a mix of feelings. Her desire was to please God and help his prophet. The request was simple: Food and drink. Yet she looked at what she had and felt only her inadequacy . . . to the point of despair. In effect she said, “I have little. Just enough for my family. We will eat it and die.” She may have even said it without emotion. I think despair had a grip on her life.
She did not realize that a miracle awaited her, just around the bend. The miracle was more than enough for an extra meal. It brought continued blessings of food, life and even resurrection.
Somehow as I read the passage I heard my own voice, saying, “Lord, we live in a broken world. And all I have is a handful of flour.”
The beauty of the story is that a handful of flour and a little oil were all that the prophet needed when given freely in obedience. The flour we have in the cupboards of our lives when immersed in the Holy Spirit has the power for blessing, life and resurrection.
Prayer: Lord, allow me to see you in my onlyness.
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