Nameless

So many great stories in the Bible of people who did great things. People who faced major decisions of faith and whether they would trust God in life changing moments. We know the names of these great people and we should be careful not to forget them. These snapshots of their lives teach us so much about God and our own humanity and how the two interact.

One of my favorite classes to teach is on the women of the Bible. How women were viewed, their place, their stories. Fascinating to me. Even after teaching the class several times in different venues there is one woman whom I have barely thought of more than in passing that I really long to be like.

Want to take a guess at who she might be? Was she a queen or a warrior? Did she help disciple great teachers? Did she feed and clothe the poor? What's her name??? I wish I knew. In fact I know very little about her except that she was a mom. A mom perhaps too busy to go and listen to Jesus but not too busy to pack her son a lunch.

Ever wonder where the food came from that fed the 5,000 men and their families at the hands of Jesus? We know a little boy had a lunch, but where did he get the food from? Was he the only one prepared? My little boy may only be 5 now but I find it hard to believe that even in a few years he will have the forethought to pack a lunch for himself in case he gets hungry. No, that little boy had a mom. A nameless, faceless woman in this story who set her son up to be used by Jesus to touch thousands of people.

Although we don't see her attending this gathering of people on the hillside, she was there making a difference. I wonder if she wanted to go and listen to the Rabbi teaching these revolutionary things but couldn't because someone had to stay home and keep the house or other children. I can't help but wonder why she didn't go with her son that day. Maybe she was ill, not interested, too busy or had a husband who didn't want her to go. All I know is she didn't go. But her son did.

Why didn't more people pack a lunch that day? Why did she?

I have no clue what the world will look like when my son is grown. I have no clue what he will encounter when he is not with me. My hope and prayer is that I am equipping and preparing him to have all that he will need to be used by Jesus. I want to be like that mom who couldn't be there with her son but loved him so well that he had something to offer and that he was willing to give it all away.

It makes me wonder what I am setting my son up for.....