More than ENOUGH.

Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 6:31-32

A stream of light flooded into the parking lot from the opened church door. After a busy day we were sweating, tired, and ready to head home to prepare for the week ahead. But this door caught our attention. In the midst of the chaos, we had forgotten to close up the church. We wearily made our way over the pavement and headed for the door. As the door began to hinge forward we saw, there in the back corner of the church, a man. 

Alone. Dirt streaming down his face. Ratted hair. Piles of all he had on the pew next to him. This man, whether faithful or not, had found refuge there in the corner of our church. My friend gathered a bag of food for the man and passed it off gently. He was gracious. And we knew God had placed him so lovingly on our path. 

My heart ached for that man as I drove off to get dinner with friends that night. I thought about the struggles that had so plagued me in the day that had just passed. Lack of sleep, hunger, silly annoyances, running late, busyness, fear, the fact that I NEEDED caffeine, my make up running, feeling fat, and the list goes on and on. Some nerve I had, complaining about those minor needs. This man was homeless, and the biggest struggle I had was picking where I wanted to go to buy my ten dollar meal. 

I think we become jaded. Because we have, we expect. We have had a bed to rest on at night and a roof over our head, even camping is a struggle for me because those are luxuries to which I have become accustom. We have showers to bathe in and meals each day. We have needs that are always met on a regular basis. And we expect them to be met. 

So what do our problems in life become? The problem is no longer that we are hungry, but that we are too lazy to make a meal. The problem is no longer where will I lay my head down at night, but what air condition setting will be just right, when will the neighbor turn down his music and why does the alarm have to go off so early in the morning? Our problem is not that we do not have enough but rather that we have been given so much and so we expect so much. We expect perfection. And when we do not get it, we get angry. 

God willing I pray we never have to face being homeless, but the reality is people do. I wondered what that man's day had looked like, what problems filled it, and what his biggest need might have been. He had so little but there I knew in the refuge of God, he would have all he needed. I prayed that the man who sat quietly in the empty church knew the love of God. I could not give him a roof or a bed even, but what I prayed I could give him was faith. When I really thought about what it might be like the be that man, I realized my faith was the one thing I could not do without.

We are blessed by so many beautiful things in this world. Delicious food fills our plate, gorgeous flowers flow from our vases, comfy chairs and blankets fill our houses, and beautiful music flows from our radios but if you had everything taken away could you survive? We get so caught up in the stuff that we forget the point. We are alive. We have a reason to wake up every morning, even if it is a Monday. We have been given so much good, but we cannot let that cloud the giver of all those things. 

God provides for His people. And I guess the point is, when push comes to shove as long as we keep our faith, we have all we need. Our little problems that we turn into the biggest issues, those are things other people would be thankful to have as the obstacles in their life. 

We are all on different journeys and we cannot foresee where God might take us, but our faith is the only thing we know will stand. Next time you find yourself annoyed, or stressed, or overtired, be thankful, God has given you life. When you stop to complain about cleaning the house or folding the laundry, be thankful, you have those things. When your pants are a smudge too tight or your hair is not curling just right, be thankful, God has lovingly created you. When your family drives you crazy or your friends make you nuts, be thankful, they are life's treasures. We have been given more than enough. Be thankful for all God has given you so generously. And trust in His ability to always provide you with all of your needs. 

Be thankful. Today God has given you so much. But the best thing He has given all of us is His love. And because of that we know everything in the world can be taken from us, but our faith will stand. 

Pray today for those who have not, and give thanks to the Lord for all that you have.