Remnants

My fridge is often a sundry collection of remnants. "A small quantity of something." "Leftovers, residue, tail end, scrap, fragment." "A small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists."

The English "remnant"comes from the French word  "remanant" which means "to remain."

If I think of it this way it sounds like the remnants of past meals choose to remain in the fridge, when I actually choose for them to remain, until they meet their ultimate demise of being thrown out.

It seems outside influences can determine if a remnant remains and for how long. Simple enough for my fridge. Not so simple for the wider world.

Biblically, God promises there will always be a remnant of those he pledged eternal love to so many centuries ago.   These remnants continue to exist because God  has never chosen to throw them out. God never will.  It's an eternal non-negotiable. 

But, looking at the condition of our world today it seems everyone believes that they, and only they,  know which remnants are still worth the high cost of support, which ones should be thrown out, and which ones are truly rotten.  

Both sides, every side, all sides are on very thin ice here.  Unless we're in the deepest of daily prayer and communion with God it's not wise to throw out a remnant that could be a warm patch or a way through a tough time or a life-saving piece of sustenance for someone, for anyone. 

By the grace of God, humanity continues on the shoulders of remnants who live out their invisible calling to be scraps of love, fragments of faith, and delightful residues of fragrant forgiveness.

Amen.