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Although running out of powdered-sugar-covered jelly-filled doughnuts may not rank at the top of the list of importance for most, for my 7th grade homeroom, it certainly did.

Our lunch period was the last of three, and while there was plenty of food available in the cafeteria when we arrived, they were always out of what we wanted most: powdered-sugar-covered jelly-filled doughnuts.

It was after our Student Council representative gave her weekly report one day that the cry went up, "We want more jelly doughnuts!"

At first, it was rather humorous. To actually believe we bottom-of-the-rung 7th graders would have our complaints heard and addressed because we wanted more doughnuts? Seriously?

In meeting after meeting, Gabby presented our request for more jelly doughnuts to the Student Council, until finally ... we had more doughnuts. The cafeteria didn't purchase extra. They just took what they had and set aside one third for first lunch, one third for second, and one third for third—us.

Thinking about these doughnuts made me think about a story in the Bible. Jesus and His disciples were in the Tyre and Sidon region when a Canaanite woman approached them. She cried out for Jesus to have mercy on her because her daughter was demon-possessed.

Christ's rather startling response was that He came only to the lost sheep of Israel. Taking the children's bread and tosssing it to their puppies wasn’t right. The woman agreed, but added that even puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus commended the woman for her great faith and granted her request.

Now back to the jelly-filled doughnuts. At the beginning of that school year, the cafeteria ladies placed all the doughnuts out before first lunch began. When the doughnuts were gone, they were gone. Leaving none for our third lunch group.

Gabby presented our requests to the powers that be, asking that they include us in the doughnut distribution. Her persistence—and that of the boys in our homeroom who kept requesting, guaranteed we would share in the children's bread.

Jesus came to seek and to save all who are lost—not merely the first ones to the table. What are we doing to make sure everyone has enough jelly filled donuts?

Share His word.

(Photo courtesy of morguefile and kakisky.)

(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)