People live in the past and the future, and both seem far better than the present. Many times in their journey through the wilderness God came to the rescue of the Israelites. When they were hungry, he gave them manna from heaven. But they grew tired of it and began to weep and complain, driving poor Moses out of his mind. He even asked God to kill him so he wouldn't have to put up with it anymore! Now the people remembered Egypt fondly, conveniently forgetting that they were slaves and that they had cried bitterly to God for liberation. If only we could trust God more and find God in our present situation and be reasonably happy. The past is gone; the future isn't here yet. All we have is the present, so let us embrace it.

God's loving care was evident in the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus had compassion on the crowd and spent much time teaching and consoling them. When he asked his disciples to feed the people, they were at a loss for words. They had so little food and there were so many people. Like the disciples, we often focus on the negative and what is lacking. Jesus challenged them to look deep into themselves. Trust in God and compassion are powerful forces, and sure enough, there was more than enough to feed everyone. Let us always believe that God cares for us and has already granted our request - then act as if it were so. Miracles have not ceased - we need only open our hearts and minds.