I generally eat too much when I am celebrating. I don’t think I am the only one. My very favorite moment from the sitcom Friends is when Joey steals Pheobe’s maternity pants and declares them his Thanksgiving pants. That is a way of celebrating I understand. I mean, over-eating at holiday meals is as American as apple pie.

So I like the feast. So what?

I love feasting. I love celebrating. I love planning for a month, grocery shopping for a week, cooking all day, and lingering over the dinner table for hours. I love it. I love loving the people I love by cooking them the things they love. I love the feast.

But lately I have been taking a hard look at my eating habits, and found something kind of ugly amidst the love-filled feasting that is happening at my house for birthdays and holidays, and the very rare date nights out when I actually get to eat dinner with my husband.

It is always such an honor and privilege to be writing at She Loves. You can read the rest here.

When I was doing my field studies for teaching life became very mundane. I showed up and  sat in the back of the class while I watched the main teacher teach.  At least that is what I thought for  awhile. I talked to the kids sometimes but not as often as I would of liked.

One day when a student was finished with his work I went and sat next to him. This teen was normally very quiet . He  wasn’t shy. He has just been through so much. He looked at me and told me every bad thing he done in is past.  He told me how he has started going to church everyday Sunday ( this was a public school so he knew nothing about my faith.) I went up to the main teacher and asked him why the student poured out his life story to me.

The teacher told me sometimes he needed it.

After that day I went and sat near different students and they all told me their stories. Some had done drugs. Some had just gotten out of the foster system at seventeen. Some parents have passed. Some students have been in jail. But what mattered to them is that I cared, listened, and showed up. I encouraged them each time when they slipped up. I would encourage them by telling them each day was a new start.  And when they made good choices I would be by them cheering them on. Most days felt mundane.

But sometimes I think Christ works in the small moments. He works in times when it feels like a routine.

So if you think you aren’t doing anything useful I encourage you to think again. The Kingdom of God is there, in the listening, in the showing up.

Megan Hall has lived in Florida for her entire life and has learned to appreciate so many things about where she lives. She is a recent college graduate who studied to be a teacher for those with special needs. She hopes to be a missionary one day. You most likely can find her serving at an orphanage or spending time in nature. She blogs at Child of the Risen King and tweets right here.

If I have learned anything this month it is this:

Scarcity is a liar that plays on our deepest fears. It shows us a picture we are afraid is reality and if we act on that picture we will get more scarcity. It is a vicious cycle.

Scarcity shows us a table that is already full. Maybe there are four spaces, maybe six. Maybe we have a space at the table, maybe we just want one. Scarcity tells us the table is full, that we have to fight for a spot or fight to keep ours, that the spots will run out, or that we better pick a different table.

But Abundance, abundance has endless wings to add to the table. Abundance has an endless supply of chairs. Abundance says yes! you can come! Bring your friends! There is plenty. Abundance is such a beautiful thing.

This is my last post in the 31 days sereis. I have had a great time, but have every intention of celebrating Nap-vember again! Don’t be surprised if I am lighter around here than usual. Abundance is telling me I am enough.