After church on Sunday’s I like to continue in an atmosphere of rest. Seldom do I go out to lunch with friends or visit with my family because it’s primarily the only day I can rest my mind and body before another work week commences. I spend most of my Sunday’s meal prepping and cleaning; but over the past few months God has placed a heaviness on me to change my schedule. It is our extended time together described as “Intimacy”.

I cherish this time alone. It’s usually when I go for a long walk on the trails by my home, listen to worship music or often times walk long distances with earphones in my ears simply to drown out the noise so that God’s voice is enhanced. It is a part of my life that is sacred because a genuine relationship with Christ means temporary removal from family, friends, social media, text messages and emails for a few hours in order to be intentional about building a wholesome relationship.

At the start of every year I choose a new book in the Bible to propel new revelation. There has been something provoking me to start with Matthew. Truthfully, I’m eating it up. It’s really coming alive in joyful ways. I was reading Matthew 14: 13-21 and I just burst out laughing because the Gospel really is a wonder. I think too often we overlook the miracles that Jesus performed in the book of Matthew and we miss some hidden messages. Hence the reason why the Bible comes alive in a fresh new way each time we read passages time and again.

I was reading the ‘Feeding of the 5,000.’ We know that five fish and two loaves of bread where stretched miraculously to feed the 5,000 and in fact, there were leftovers. Although, many have overlooked the two fold miracle in this story. Yes, twofold.  Not only did Jesus feed the 5,000 and they were full (satisfied), but before feeding them they were commanded to sit on the grass. STOP. Here it is! The second miracle is the grass. This is where I burst into laughter because God is just so cool. The place where Jesus performed this miracle is called Bethsaida, per the additional information in Mark’s account. If you know anything about Bethsaida, it is a dry place covered by rocks, boulders and gravel. The mere fact that Jesus ordered the 5,000 to sit on grass is miraculous! Jesus grew grass for 5,000 people to sit down while they were eating and resting.

Let’s circle back to my introduction about my private walks with God.  This past Sunday I was prompted to take a walk on a trail that passes through a community garden. Just a few months ago I passed the garden and saw large boxes with dirt and random little shrubs that needed to be removed. Truthfully, the boxes didn’t even look like the soil was healthy enough to grow fruits or vegetables. Fast forward to January: it’s winter, it’s cold and damp with little hope that anything grows or blossoms in this season. WRONG. As I walked past the community garden I saw one of the boxes fully alive with beautiful leafy greens. I literally sensed the following: “To you it looked like nothing could survive the winter, but underneath it all, I was at work. I can make what seems dead come alive. The perspective of man is skewed when they look at situations with eyes of fear or worry rather than with eyes of faith.”

To the reader feeling like you’ve been in a dry place where dreams and visions are shattered or where purpose no longer makes sense, be reminded that Ezekiel 37:1-14 is proof that God brings dead things to life.  Let 2019 be a year where you begin to see with eyes of Faith in Jesus name.