Leftovers

Exodus 16:14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

You know about leftovers.  The stuff that's left in the pot.  Either you made too much or it really wasn't just loved by everyone or no one was really hungry.  And you hate for that food to go to waste...so you put in a plastic bag or a plastic box or put a plastic seal over the pot and you put in the refrigerator hoping someone will be hungry enough later to enjoy the last helping.

Some things are better leftover.  Cold fried chicken, for example, is a delicacy.  As is most pizza.  My mother's squash casserole (although getting her to make enough so that there are leftovers requires serious begging) is perfect from first bite to last scrape (and I will fork you over the last scrape).

Some very wise and frugal people appreciate the value of the leftover enough to ignore the less-than-great-taste of said leftover.

But if we were really really honest, we don't like leftovers...because they are, well, left over.

And that's just food.

Let's talk about relationships.  No one wants the leftovers of our relational self.  No one.  And a few years ago my husband was brave enough and wise enough and loving enough to say to me: Leanne, I don't want your leftovers.

He might as well have dunked my head in cold water.

So part of this 'new blog' adventure is about making sure that I never give what/who is most important in my life a regular diet of my leftovers.  But it's also about realizing that I can't survive on leftovers either.  Last year's epiphany won't do.  Last month's sabbath isn't enough.  Yesterday's bread won't sustain me today.  If I am going to offer my family something wholesome from my hand and my heart...If I am going to be salt and light in the world today, it will be because I have been filled with grace today, I have eaten of the Bread of Life today.

So, no more leftovers.