THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

July 14, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

When we got new carpet in our living room several years ago, Jon wanted to keep the leftover carpet remnant. Why? So if he ever needed to work on a mower or vehicle or do something that would require him to have to lay on the ground, he would have something to lay on. In my mind, I think, "It's just taking up room and you never use it!"; but in Jon's mind, he thinks, "I'll have it for whenever I need it."

Guess what? Recently, he had use for that carpet remnant. He needed to take the blade off our mower to straighten and sharpen it (my fault!), so laid on that piece of carpet while taking the blade off and putting it back on. He was thankful that he had kept it, so he didn't have to lay on the hard concrete driveway.

Sometimes if someone needs to carpet a small area, they will go to a carpet store and ask if they have any remnants, because those can often be purchased at a fraction of the cost of new carpeting. Perhaps the store purchased a full roll for a customer, but had some leftover after the job was finished. It's too much to throw out, but not enough to carpet a large area; so they will offer it at a discounted price.

When I sew a quilt, if I have a remnant of fabric leftover, I will generally keep it. It's not enough to material to make an entire quilt, but added in with other fabric, I can often find use for it. Many times I have needed fabric to add in as a filler to make the quilt a little bigger, and so I look through my remnants to see if I have any that matches. Often I have found a piece that will be just what I need, without having to go to the store to buy more.

Growing up, my mama sewed clothes for herself and my sisters and I. She would try to cut the pieces to the dress out, in order to best utilize the fabric. She would save the leftover material and sometimes had enough to make a small dress for me, when I was a little girl. Sometimes she could use the fabric as the yoke or added in somehow with other matching fabric. She might use it to make clothing for our dolls or an apron or any number of uses. If the remnant was of a useable size, she never threw it away.

The definition of a remnant is: a small remaining quantity of something; a piece of cloth or carpeting left when the greater part has been used or sold. It is, also, a surviving trace, such as a remnant of the past. In christian theology it means a small minority of people who will remain faithful to God; often in biblical prophecies concerning Israel.

In Genesis chapter 45, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, after them selling him into slavery and they had been separated for a very long time. When he tells them who he is, his brothers were terrified what he might do to them in retaliation for their action all those many years ago, so were unable to answer Joseph when he asked if his father was still alive.

Joseph told his brothers to come near him and said, "I'm Joseph, your brother -- the one you sold to Egypt. So now, don't be grieved and don't be angry in your own eyes that you sold me here -- since it was for preserving life that God sent me here before you. For there have been two years of famine in the land, and there will be five more years yet with no plowing or harvesting. But God sent me ahead of you to ensure a remnant in the land to keep you alive for a great escape. So now, it wasn't you, you didn't send me here, but God!"

Joseph had an understanding that God had made a promise to his great-great grandfather about his descendants being many, and that a covenant had been made. He knew that if his father and brothers died during the famine, then that lineage would not continue on. He realized that God had sent him to Egypt, for the specific purpose of keeping his family, Abraham's descendants, alive so that they could continue to grow and flourish. Even though his brothers were the ones who had initially sent him to Egypt, he knew that had been God's plan for his life. He was there for such a time as this. God had sent Joseph ahead of his father, brothers and their families, to ensure that a remnant of the Israelite people would remain alive.

By the time Moses came to lead the Israelites 430 years later, there were over 600,000 men plus their children that left on foot. (Exodus 12:37-40) The sons of Jacob (Joseph's father) families had multiplied from a small remnant to being so many that Pharaoh was afraid of how many Israelites there were.

There are several scriptures in the Old Testament that refer to the remnant left in Israel or Judah. Sometimes it was due to others being taken captive to foreign lands, other times it was because the hearts of the people had turned from serving God to idol worship. But there was always that remnant of faithful people!

2 Samuel 23:9-10 tells about one of King David's mighty men, named Eleazar. One time he and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. He killed Philistines until his hand became weary and stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The rest of the army didn't return until it was time to collect the plunder.

In Genesis chapter 5 we read the story of Noah. The Lord observed the of human wickedness on the earth and saw that everything that they thought and did were totally evil. The Lord was sorry that He had ever made them and put them on earth and it broke His heart. He said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. I will destroy every living thing - all the people, animals, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them."

But God found a faithful remnant! Verse 8 says, "But Noah found favor in the Lord's eyes." Because of his faithfulness, God spared the lives of Noah and his family. He, also, told Noah to bring two of every animal, male and female, into the ark to keep them alive. Because of Noah finding favor in the Lord's eyes, God had mercy and changed His mind about wiping the human race off the face of the earth; as well as not destroying every living thing.

A remnant often doesn't seem very important. In fact, it may seem like a waste or like it's just in the way. I mean, why have a remnant of carpet or fabric, when you can have an entire big piece that is more noticeable and has more value? But those remnants serve a purpose and have their place, too. Perhaps they aren't as visual as the larger pieces, but they are just as important and necessary.

Jon doesn't need an entire roll of carpet when he is lying on the ground repairing a mower. I don't need several yards of fabric to trim out a quilt or add into the backing to make it pretty. But those remnants are perfect for those type of projects.

No one who has been part of a remnant throughout history realized their importance at the time. They were going through life, doing their job, functioning in the realm where God placed them. What they did probably didn't seem extraordinary at the time, like it does to us who can look back and read their stories and see how valuable their roles were.

When Noah was building the ark, then gathering the animals to put on it, he probably wasn't thinking, "I'm important and my story will be written down in the scrolls for generations of mankind to read". After being on board the ark and the stench became strong and he had been shut in with only his family and all of those animals for several days, he probably wasn't thinking about how God had saved mankind through him and his family. But he was a remnant that found favor in the eyes of the Lord, and through His faithfulness God changed His mind about destroying the everyone and everything upon the face of the earth.

When Joseph was tossed down into the pit by his own brothers, then sold into Egyptian slavery, his thoughts during those moments were probably not wondering what grand plan God had in store for him. He had no idea what the future held in store for him, and certainly never foresaw himself as being second in command over all of Egypt. It was only during those years of famine, when he did hold a position of authority and was brought back into contact with his family that he knew the full extent of God's plan of placing him where he was. God's plan all began coming together and he knew that God had placed him there for that time so that a remnant could be preserved. And out of that remnant came a mighty nation.

When Eleazar was fighting alongside David, his mind was focused on the battle. I mean, the rest of the Israelite army had run away and left them; only returning to gather the plunder from the Philistines after the battle was over. Were they hiding in the distance, watching to see what happened? God miraculously used Eleazar and David that day to win a victory over the Philistines. How does that even happen? It seems absolutely impossible. But when God is fighting your battles with you, anything can be accomplished! It only takes a remnant to win victories when the invisible armies of heaven are fighting alongside you.

Don't ever feel like you are insignificant or have no purpose. You may not be important or be well known or seen. You may just be a small remnant that has been cut away from who you once used to be or have a position that seems unnecessary or unnoticed. You may not be able to do the things that you once did, but that doesn't make you useless; you are still needed.

Until we draw our last breath on earth, God has a reason for giving us breath in our bodies. Perhaps we don't always understand why we are still here or what our purpose is; but God can take an ordinary remnant and weave it into someone's story, and make something beautiful.

Never resent feeling like you are a remnant that has little or not purpose, because you never know how God can take your life and do something great. You may not see or understand it at the time, you may just think you are doing something ordinary or of not much importance, but when placed in God's hand, it becomes intertwined with the lives of others in a way that is important and useful.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

It drives Loretta nuts that I will hold onto so many remnants of things I expect to use someday. I have scraps of wood, sandpaper, tubing, pipe fittings, screws, and all sorts of bits and pieces. I frequently use a few bits of one kind, but might not use some other kind for years. When we needed fittings to hook up our new fridge, the pipe fittings paid off. When I needed to fix the mower, the carpet paid off. When I need to prop something up, having bits of wood pays off. True, I could go buy what I needed each time, but that would mean getting dressed and making a trip to a store instead of doing the work that needs done.

I do throw some things away, but when I look at most tools or good quality and see potential. I might not know when I might need a good ferrule, but when I need to hook up the water supply for a fridge, I'll have it. I have a hard time looking at much of anything without seeing some potential in it.

God looks at us like that. No matter what shape we're in, and no matter where we've been in the past, He sees potential in us. He won't discard us. We can always serve Him as a remnant that fits into some larger plan. We can always be something more than just a scrap taking up space. We can let Him put us to use somewhere, somehow.

ON THE MENEWE:

Chicken Salad

Boil chicken breasts; cool, debone and chop. (Or do what I do: buy a rotisserie chicken, debone and dice into bite-sized pieces.) Add Hellmann's mayonnaise (the real stuff is so much better!), chopped celery and grapes that have been cut in half. Mix until a good consistency. Serve on croissants.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Several years ago a nephew and his wife were teaching children's church on Sunday mornings. One Sunday they overheard one of the little girls educating another child in the class about water baptism. Very seriously she said, "When you trust in God after you become a Christian, you get to go to that big bath (otherwise known as a baptistry) to get bath-tized!"

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Jesus is more concerned where you are going; not where you have been. - TobyMac

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org