“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
Saturday, its finally here. Seems like it’s been a long, cold, dark week with snow covering most everything in Normal. What comes to your mind when the weekend arrives? With this pandemic, the usual routine has changed quite a bit. It seems like every day this week someone that I know has tested positive and one, Helen Roenfeldt from Florida who spent countless hours in Haiti doing His work, passed away from COVID. For me, this week I got vaccinated and am wearing an ear tag to prove it, along with my mask. If you have spent any time with cattle you will appreciate my humor, if not…get over it. The weekend is here and our thoughts probably turn to doing chores around your property, perhaps grocery shopping and of course preparing for Church on Sunday.
Think for a moment, what drives your weekend planning; availability of time, weather, priorities and funds? Too often we don’t recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 13:5 and we allow our lives to be driven by wanting more, quite often just wanting more stuff. The attached photo was taken at the ‘mall’ in Les Cayes and school children are walking home in the afternoon, gazing at items that are most likely distant dreams to them.
How long are we ever content with what we have? I challenge you to go to your bedroom closet and honestly take an inventory of its contents and come to grips with your level of contentment. Spring is around the corner and it will be a time to purchase ‘new’ things again and ship the ‘old’ things to a faraway land where your ‘trash’ becomes their ‘treasures.’
The items hanging on the market are not new; they belonged to people like you not that long ago. Didn’t intend for this to turn into a Lutheran guilt trip, but rather a subtle reminder that our Triune God will never leave us, will never forsake us, He is always there providing for us with everything that we need; be content in that.
The school children walking by the market in Les Cayes are from one of our Trinity/HOPE schools, you can tell by their uniforms that they wear. God has provided their clothes, their home and through you, their noon lunch. Thank you for answering the call, providing for their physical and spiritual training.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay