God's Economy

     I'm in search of a new cliche to state the idea for "killing two birds with one stone" in a positive way. (I'm aware that "new cliche" is an oxymoron since "cliche" by definition means worn out phrase.) For example, I recently rolled in blessings as the Lord worked out details so I could visit with many friends in one trip.  I suppose people who eat birds feel like they're rolling in blessings when they  "kill two birds with one stone," but I'd like a less violent way to describe layered blessings.
     In God's economy, we all benefit from each other's small investments.  He takes the sack lunches we offer Him and multiplies them to feed us and other people from the bounty.  God didn't let the boy who provided the picnic on the mountainside go hungry and become weak. In return, he received an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and probably grinned like a Cheshire cat as he watched the hillside crowd benefit from his gift. God uses whatever we'll give Him today to draw us into an amazing cycle of simultaneous giving and receiving on multiple levels.  

     Mary began at Jesus' feet and He blessed her while her sister, Martha, started in the kitchen to end up irritable, fatigued and jealous. Symptoms of exhaustion, grumpiness, jealousy, irritation, or acting like a martyr reveal we're starting in the kitchen instead of at Jesus' Feet to be filled with His Joy and Strength. According to the birds and stone analogy, we can take out whole flocks of birds (bless multitudes of people) when we're working in His strength and not our own.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, . . .

They go from  strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."  

Psalm 84:7

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."   

Galatians 5:22-23