"A little bit goes a long way"

My great-grandmother Lily was a thrifty woman. When I was growing up, she was fond of telling me that a little bit goes a long way. Frankly, I think she stole the idea from the old Brylcreem commercials: “A little dab’ll do you!” Regardless, she often reminded me to use less instead of more. “Now Todd”, she would say, “don’t use so much dish detergent in the sink; a little bit goes a long way.” One of my personal favorites was: “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar. A little kindness will go a long way.”

Apparently, I’m not the only one who was taught this lesson. Right as spring semester ended at Newberry College, I overheard a conversation in cafeteria. Some students were snickering, because they had managed to fill the large fountain in the quad with bubbles. “Wow”, one said, “I can’t believe it only took ½ a cup of detergent!” “Well,” ringleader responded, “A little bit goes a long way!” Great-Grandma Lily would have been proud!

A little bit goes a long way. This seems to be true of many things in life, but it is advice I am not sure we always follow. We live in a world that encourages us to have a lot, not a little. We live in a world that encourages us to have not just enough, but more than enough. We strive for huge amounts of money, so that we can satisfy both needs and wants. We seek success and power at work, sometimes stepping on others to reach top. We yearn for popularity at school and find ourselves putting others down for a laugh, in hopes that people will like us better. This even comes into our faith life. At times, we shy away from sharing gifts and talents, thinking that we don’t have enough or that we only have a little bit. We say things like, “I can’t sing in the choir! I don’t have enough musical ability”; or, “There’s no way I can serve on that committee; he is much more gifted than me”; or, “My faith isn’t as strong as hers. I can’t pray or help or teach like she can!”

Yet, there is amazing, wonderful, good news for you and me. God works past our “can’ts” and “aren’ts”; our “no ways” and “we don’t have enoughs”. Look at today’s Gospel text. Jesus has been healing the sick all day, and the dinner hour is at hand. The disciples want him to send the crowds away to eat, but Jesus tells them to feed the crowds. What do the disciples say?  “We can’t! We aren’t able! There’s no way! We don’t have enough. All we have is 5 loaves and 2 fish.” What does Jesus do? The healer becomes the great host. He blesses the bread; he blesses the fish, and suddenly there is an abundance. No, not just an abundance, but over-flowing amounts! 5000 are fed; 12 baskets of left-overs are filled; and all of that from just a little bit. A little bit that went a long way!

This is wonderful good news for us this day – and every day! God takes what we have, regardless of how much it is, and God blesses it, and makes it an abundance.  Think about your own story as a congregation over the past two years.  It would have been easy to say, “We give up. We can’t! There’s no way! We don’t have enough.” Instead, God called for you to continue your service to God and neighbor, and you responded. You used gifts and talents at hand – gifts and talents of varying amounts - to serve God and there was an abundance! Vital ministry continued! The sick and the homebound were visited. A new addition was built. Outreach to the community took place. God blessed you with Pastor Rich, and God brought you together as a community. Indeed, there was an abundance of ministry, gifts, and talents and we can give thanks to God for those things!

What an amazing God! A God who takes even a little bit and makes into an overflowing bounty. We see this played out every week as we gather for worship. God speaks to use through just a few readings from Scripture and we hear again about God’s intention to save you and me and all of creation. We learn from God’s word that God is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. God takes the little phrase “your sins are forgiven” and reminds us of God’s abundant grace. God takes a little bit of water and joins us to the body of Christ, claims us as children, pours the Holy Spirit upon us, and marks us with the cross forever. God becomes the host at the table, and takes a little sip of wine and little piece of bread and blesses it, so that it becomes heavenly food – The body and blood of Jesus Christ. Through this meal, God strengthens, empowers, forgives, and nourishes us abundantly. Just as in feeding of 5000, God makes a little bit go a long way, because that is who God is: a God who blesses and multiplies that which is available, equipping us to love and serve God and neighbor.

As we begin our journey together in this place, we will be tempted to say, “We can’t” or “There’s no way” or “we don’t have enough”. But brothers and sisters in Christ, we can take heart and rejoice! God is not stopped by our can’ts and no ways and not enoughs. Rather, God blesses us and promises to work through us. God calls to us and continues to empower us to share our talents and gifts, even if we don’t think they are enough. For God makes a little bit go a long way – and the outcome is amazing – there is enough for everyone and abundance left! And for that, we can say, “Thanks be to God!”

                                                AMEN