What Did They Do With the Leftovers?
The story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish is told in all four gospels of the Bible: Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–44, Luke 9:10–17, and John 6:1–15: Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke them. Then, He gave them to the disciples to give to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over.
This story begs the question from my frugal nature: What did they do with the leftovers? Did everyone get to-go boxes when they went home? If so, did Jesus have to multiply to-go boxes, as well? Surely, He didn’t let the excess food go to waste.
Wasting Food is a Sin
Having been raised by parents who lived through the Great Depression, I was taught early on that wasting food was a mortal sin—and I’m not even Catholic. I am well acquainted with leftovers, as I can never finish my meal in a restaurant. So, whatever my husband or son doesn’t finish for me, I take home to eat later. Bringing home what I can’t finish in a restaurant actually works out pretty well, as I get two great meals instead of one. That is assuming I manage to get the to-go box from the restaurant table to my house.
I’ll Take the Leftovers To Go, If I Can Remember
I can’t count the number of times I have left my to-go box sitting on the table in a restaurant or occasionally at the cashier’s stand in restaurants where the waitperson doesn’t directly take the check. I have even left my to-go boxes on the hood of my car or in my car.
After overcoming the hurdle of getting the leftovers from the restaurant to my car, from my car, and into my refrigerator, the next challenge is remembering to eat them. It’s usually not too hard because I have a huge black or white Styrofoam container taking up space in the refrigerator. Plus, the food is generally way more appetizing than whatever else I have in the frig, so it gets eaten relatively quickly, especially if it is something my husband or son like. Sometimes, though, the smaller boxes get pushed to the back, where the contents turn into science projects before I recall I brought them home two weeks (or a month) ago. Oh well, at least my intentions are good.
The Worst Place I Ever Forgot My Leftovers
I suppose I could blame my advancing years for my forgetfulness, but this lapse of memory when it comes to getting my leftovers home has been going on for decades. I think the absolute best (worst) place I ever left my to-go box was in my date’s car. Obviously, this has been more than a few years ago— like forty-plus—but some events are just too memorable to let go. Let me preface this by saying that the guy I was dating and I often pulled practical jokes on each other. We had gone out for seafood, of all things, and as usual, I couldn’t finish my dinner. So, I packed it up and took it with me. And forgot it at the end of the evening. It apparently disappeared under the passenger seat, where it stayed for several days in the middle of summer.
I Have My Own Miracle Regarding Fish
The poor guy told me he kept smelling this terrible odor in his car but couldn’t tell where it was coming from until he finally discovered my leftover fish. Oops! I couldn’t have pulled off a better prank if I had planned it. Miraculously, he was still speaking to me and actually believed I didn’t do it on purpose.
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