8 Meals of Love

Eggs and hashbrowns.  Pizza.  Fajitas.  Pancakes.  Pizza.  Pizza.  Muffins.  Southern buffet. 

These were my meals from breakfast on Saturday to lunch on Monday.  What’s so special about them?  I received them all for free.  From Saturday’s breakfast to Monday’s lunch, I did not pay for a single meal that I ate. 

8 free meals.  8 gifts from God.  8 examples of God’s love for me. 

Why did God provide me with 8 free meals in a row?  I’m not sure.  I didn’t pray for them.  I didn’t expect them. 

Truthfully, I didn’t even need them.  I may be a poor, support-raised missionary, but I’m not that broke.  I could have afforded to pay for food for those meals. 

But, in a way, I think that is what made them more special.  God is our Father, and like any father who wants to show us His love, He may sometimes not just give us what we need but spoil us a little with what we want.  I can look back at my own childhood and see that there were times when my parents didn’t just give me what I need (food, clothing, shelter) but what I wanted as well (a candy bar, a video game, a trip to Disney World). 

Would God be any less of a loving god if He just provided us with our salvation and our basic needs?  No.  But His love is more extravagant than we can understand.  God is love.  It’s His nature.  And sometimes, that love can show up in small and simple ways.  Like 8 free meals in a row. 

What about you?  Are you taking time to notice examples of God’s love in your life?  I guarantee you that they’re all around you.