Manna


The other night while I was dropping my son off at a high school group activity I saw another friend of mine dropping off her son at the same activity. With our mini vans pointing in opposite directions in the street, we say our typical hi's that parents do when dropping their teenagers off at high school group activities.

Then Patricia, my friend, asks me how life was going? I quickly looked in my rearview mirror to make sure there was no traffic, all was clear, so I felt free to stay parked in the middle of the street and have a friendly conversation.

"Things are going pretty good right now."

"How's the back?"

I had major back problems this past year. It was completely awful. I spent three months laying on my back and barely doing anything. Oxycodone was my friend. Two pill, three times a day. Oxy helped me to deal with the pain- I hurt, but I just didn't care that I hurt.

"I'm probably ninety to ninety-five percent better."

"That's good to hear. And how about work; is your business busy?"

I checked my rearview. Still clear.

"Well, actually it is picking up lately."

And its true. My electrical business has been getting a lot more work lately. Too much work to keep up with.

I continued, "At least, I know its enough work for the next couple of weeks. Jobs just keep showing up. I am totally wondering where it all comes from."

Rearview mirror check. A truck is coming. We both know it's is time to move on. She gives a parting comment with a wave and a smile, "Its called manna."

I never thought of work, work that I need to provide for my family and Starbucks, as being manna. Hmm.

Do remember what manna is? When the nation of Israel was first delivered from Egypt, they headed out to the wilderness. There were too many of them to just live off the land, or the herds they had. In a matter of just a few days hunger started to kick in, which is the same time God's provisions started to kick in.

When the Israelites woke up in the morning, a strange substance would be laying on the ground. It was this funky bread like stuff. One brave soul thought about tasting it. It tasted pretty good. So everyone started to eat it.

One little kid said, "Hey, what is it?" Which, I I was writing in Hebrew, then I would have written that little kid's comment like this, "Hey(I think ‘Hey’ is the same in English and Hebrew… maybe not), manna?" You see, that's what manna means, "What is it?" It is a question? The Israelites were questioning what this provision was.

That seems to be how God is providing work for me. A phone call from someone I don't know, a contractor has a remodel, brother-in-law has another house to wire, someone has a junky old Federal Pacific Panel to be changed out... and I have work.

Where does it all come from? How does it keep showing up? It can only be one thing- manna.


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