“He said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” – John 6:12
When I was in the janitorial business, one of my clients owned a saw-sharpening shop in which diamond-encrusted grinders were used to sharpen the carbide tips on the saw blades. Because of the value of diamonds, all of the filing dust infiltrated with diamond dust was collected and recycled. It was to be sent to the manufacturer of the grinders to be separated from the metal and reused in the making of new grinders. I asked him one time if it really was that important, and he replied that it adds up over a period of time.
Just as it took time to gather up the diamond dust, so it took time for the disciples to gather up the fragments of bread and fish, as referred to in our focus verse. Some might have thought the scraps were not worth the effort, but in the end there were twelve more baskets of food! Jesus was concerned that the twelve baskets of fragments not be wasted. He wanted them retrieved to be a blessing to others.
The same concept can be applied to our lives. Every day, we likely have moments of free time here and there that seem too short to be valuable. However, just ten minutes a day in one year’s time is equal to sixty hours. Three ten-minute blocks of time would add up to over a week.
We must value the time we have and use it purposefully. While we may be dutifully employed and much of our day is taken up with serving others, still just a few moments a day can be taken to memorize a new Scripture verse or to pray for others, to speak a kind word or do a good deed. It will all add up over time. One thing we all have in common is the fact that we have the same amount of time each day, and what we do with this time is what will make the difference.
We can use our fragments of time so they will have a redeeming value and not be wasted on things that pass away. As you memorize today’s focus verse, let it inspire you to use your time in a way that will be filled with purpose and glorify God.