No Empty Plates

Several of my neighbors and I share little gifts every Christmas, anything from homemade banana bread, to cookies or jelly or whatever. My neighbor Sue brings her gifts on Christmas china. After noticing I had accumulated a couple of those plates, I tried to return them. But Sue wouldn’t take her plates back. She said they can’t be returned empty. They are for sharing goodies with others. This put me on the spot because I’m out of practice baking desserts. When I bake sweets, I’ve found I also eat them! But I love the idea of returning the plates not empty. It reminds me of Isaiah 55:11, where God’s word is compared to rain that causes crops to grow. When God’s words go out they do not come back to him empty.