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Thursday, February 10, 2005
It never really dawned on me until I started looking for something specific. See, my daughter was turning 13 and I wanted to do something a bit special and I thought a nice surprise would be something I had been saving for 13 years:
The newspaper from the day she was born.
And I knew it was around the house SOMEWHERE. But where, exactly? The file folders that sit on the laundry room shelf? Nope. The waterproof file folders for the more important papers? Nope. Did I move it to the office file cabinet? Nope. On the bookshelves between some things in the garage? Nope.
During the hunt, my wife noted that this search highlighted how "cluttered" our house seemed with "stuff." Why did it seem so cluttered? "Because we haven't moved in almost 8 years. This is the longest time we've lived in one place," replied my wife.
And we do have lots of stuff.
There's an abundance of Christmas stuff in the attic...a lot of it we don't use. There's a bunch of stuff in the garage that rarely get used, including an ice cream maker and room humidifier. Not to mention a ton of books and summer beach toys. We have a lot of blankets and coats in one closet, and every one of us needs to donate some of our clothes to charity. Each child has a roomful of toys and stuffed animals and clothes and books. We have a studio with dance equipment and art supplies. We have a pantry full of food and snacks. We have lots of dishes and cookware. My wife and I have clothes. We have two cars.
We do have lots of stuff.
And I wonder sometimes that, as Americans, we can comprehend the humble prayer that Christ taught us, to simply give us this day our daily bread.
I mean, I've been to Juarez, Mexico and Chambellan, Haiti where that prayer might be a bit more honest. They do live meal to meal...at least in the areas I've been to. And when they pray that prayer that Christ taught them, they truly are asking for genuine necessities. You know, food. Clothing. Shelter.
In fact, a bit further in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about this. In Matthew 6: 25ff, it reads, "For this reason, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?...For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."
So, it seems to me that Jesus was telling us to put our trust in our Father for our basic needs. Paul intimated that he knew what it was like to have abundance, and he knew what it was to do without. And I've experienced times when there was financial gain left at the end of the month, and I've known what it's like to juggle the power bill and the water bill.
As we talk to God, we should always be thankful for the extreme abundance that God has given us this day...it's so much more than our "daily bread." But we are to remember that God is our provider and that our relationship with Him is never contingent on what we possess or what we don't have...
...but rather He is the provider of all our needs.
And asking Him for those reminds us of our dependence on Him. So, today, thank God for his abundant blessing...and remember that He provides all to us. The key is learning to depend on Him.
Brent 4:02 AM
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