Lilies

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worring can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you. O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~Matthew 6:25-34

I'm claiming these promises today. That God is already and will continue to meet our needs. It's hard to trust in the face of so much financial adversity though. It just feels like we go two steps forward, three steps back. And it's so frustrating because we work so hard, spend so sparingly, and play so little. And yet, judged by the world's standards we are immensly wealthy. We have a warm and dry roof over our heads. Food on the table, every day. Cars that run and get us from point A to point B. We are clothed appropriately for the season.

Do NOT worry. Do NOT worry. Do NOT worry. This passage alone says it three times. But that's exactly what I find myself doing. What if something big and unexpected happens? We won't be able to survive a broken down car or an extended illness...deep breath, in and out. YES we will. We WILL survive. Maybe not in our current house. Maybe not without filing bakruptcy or moving in with our parents or... or... or. But we will still be a family. I will still love my husband who works SO HARD to teach, not just math but life, to middle school students and "bring home the bacon". I love him even more because all the good he's doing, all the hard work he's pouring into the next generation, is not only underappreciated and underpaid, it's being down right attacked in the political realm right now. And I don't care if we "lose everything" as long as I have him.

I don't want to lose everything. I don't even want to lose anything! I want extra! I want my house to stop going down in value. I want to put grass in my backyard and build a trellis that I can hang a swing from for Griffin. I want new floors in my house. I want a newer car for Ryan to commute in. I want to go on a couple of vacations to see long-time friends now spread all over the U.S. I want a new computer that moves faster than an elderly snail.

But did you catch the last part of that passage? "But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"

Am I seeking HIS kingdom first? HIS righteousness first?

I want a closer relationship with Christ. I want to wake up in the morning ready to listen to the quiet whisper of that still small voice. I want to rest at night knowing I moved where He moved and loved where He loved. More than all that other stuff, I want this for me. I want it for my family and friends. I want it for all the hurting and broken people I know and don't know. The deep abiding joy, in any and all circumstances, that comes from truly knowing, deep in your soul, that you are loved by The King.

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."