Matthew
15:29-37
Jesus
returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd
brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak,
and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The
crowd was amazed! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the
crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again!
And they praised the God of Israel. 32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told
them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for
three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away
hungry, or they will faint along the way." 33 The disciples replied,
"Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge
crowd?" 34 Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" They
replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish." 35 So Jesus told all
the people to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the
fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the
disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. 37 They all ate as much as
they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover
food.
Food
for thought!
Some
one remarked: There is little difference in people, but that little difference
makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference
is whether it is positive or negative. The miracle in today's gospel is all
about attitude.
Did
you notice what Jesus did? He first noted: "I feel sorry for these
people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left
to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the
way." Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them.
Jesus had a positive attitude; he gave thanks for the little there was. He did
not do like the disciples: "Where would we get enough food here in the
wilderness for such a huge crowd?" This is poor attitude at work.
Unfortunately, many of us operate like the disciples: we see only the negative
side of things.
Do
you awaken every morning with a song of praise on your lips? Do you feel full
of appreciation for life as you live it every day? Or, do you have to think
long and hard before finding something to be grateful for? Consider your
response to these questions carefully, for they could be crucial to a life of
usefulness and joy. It is a law of life, and an inexorable principle, that if
we develop an attitude of gratitude our happiness will increase.
The
remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will
embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact
that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The
only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our
attitude.... I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90
percent how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our
attitudes.
There
is always something beautiful to be found, right where you are, if you will
look for it. This is what Jesus did to work the miracle: Jesus asked,
"How much bread do you have?" Like Jesus, concentrate your thoughts
on the good, the beautiful, on what you have, and on the true things of life.
This positive, loving attitude of mind can help you perceive the presence of
God active in your life and put into operation the divine magic that can open
doors to greater usefulness and joy.
"But
how does this positive attitude really work?" you may ask. The only way to
prove it to yourself is to give it a good try and see what happens. Practice
waking up each day with an inherent expectation of good and with a wonderful
feeling of thanksgiving for life itself. Your days will be filled with exciting
adventures. Expect the good, and good will come your way; expect evil, and evil
will hasten to meet you. When you go for an interview, or conduct one, remember
this formula 5% is about availability 5% is about adaptability 5% is
about ability 85% is on attitude of the candidate.
No comments:
Post a Comment