It wasn’t about the sandwich.

That may have been where the conversation started…but it wasn’t the real issue.

For months I had been hearing about a kid who sits at my son’s lunch table. This particular student doesn’t always have a lunch. Sometimes, he looks around the table and asks the other boys if they have anything “extra.”

My heart sank as I found out a few more details about this classmate. So I decided to add an extra tangerine to my son’s lunch. I told my son, “If that kid is asking for food. Don’t make it a big deal, just give him a tangerine.”

Last week I decided to throw in an extra PB&J into my son’s lunch.

No big deal, right ? Wrong.

Son: “Mama, why are there 2 sandwiches in my lunch.”

Me: “In case that kid doesn’t have lunch. Just tell him your mom made an extra sandwich and he can have it.”

Son: “Mama, that’s just weird, offering a guy a sandwich. And what if he already has lunch today.”

Me: “If he has lunch, bring the sandwich back home. I’ll eat it. I just don’t want him to be hungry.”

Son: “Mama, you don’t understand. This is so awkward.”

After dropping my son off to school, I had a few “I know he’s a really great kid. Why isn’t he being more compassionate?” kinds of thoughts racing through my head.

I called my sister and shared with her the conversation that went down that morning.

She calmly reminded me…He is a really great kid but he is only 15. And this may not be about a sandwich. It’s about feeling awkward.

She was right.

I’ve never been a 15 year old boy, but as a 40 (something) year old girl I have wrestled and still wrestle with feelings of awkwardness.

I may be okay with sharing my lunch, but sharing the gospel…that can be awkward.

Offering to pray with a coworker….uh, that can be awkward too.

Our Heavenly Father has given us much more than a sandwich.

Through Christ we have salvation, peace, joy and hope (just to name a few).

Luke 12:48b reminds us, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

All we are asked to do is share that which we have been freely given. And when we hesitate, maybe it surprises God and He also wonders why.

In case you are wondering how the sandwich story ended. My son agreed to take it…only to bring it back home because, thankfully, his classmate already had lunch that day.

So like I said …it was really never about the sandwich.

“To whom much is given, much is required.”

-Binu