“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” (Matthew 6:30-33 The Message Bible)
A mother enters the kitchen and sees her 12-year-old son searching furiously for some food to eat. When his mom enters the room, he looks at her with distinct frustration and disappointment spread all across his face and he’s standing with his hands on his hips. Then he says, “Where is it?” The mother, after cautioning the son about his tone and temper, says, “What ‘it’ are you talking about?” The son responds by saying, “Momma you are always saying that the Lord will provide. And when you pray before dinner you say, ‘Thank you Lord, for always putting food on our table.’” The son goes on to boldly say to his mother, who by the way is steadily smiling, showing great patience, and looking like she is trying to smother a bursting out of laughter, “So, where is ‘IT?’” The mother shakes her finger back and forth while staring at her son, eye to eye, at a close distance. It’s her turn to speak. She has listened with empathy, but now it is her time to edify. She says, “Son, you must be out of your mind and surely you must be blessing blind?” The son ignored the mother’s words and utters in a lowered tone, “But Momma you said…,” and at that point, the mother told him to be quiet and to say no more. Her voice is serious, and she rightfully, appropriately uses Eric Berne’s Parent to Child communication style, “You are going to learn a much needed lesson son. Go to the refrigerator and do as I say.”
Here are her exact words: “First get the fresh bag of lettuce in the crisper. Now get the bag of mini cucumbers on the second shelf and the tomatoes next to them.” The boy shuts the refrigerator door, and the mother says, “Open it back up! You are not done yet.” Reluctantly he opens the door, knowing a rebellious reaction would bring about some unwanted consequences. In this order, the mother tells the son to get the cut-up mushrooms, two apples, one pear, a bag of salad fixings with cranberries and walnut, the bag of baby carrots, and the two cups of non-sugar mandarin oranges that have not been touched. Next, she tells him to get the big plastic Tupperware bowl in the cabinet and the cutting board in the lower storage area. The mother gets her favorite knife out of the silverware drawer and hands it to his son. To make a long story short, the mother has the son put together a large bowl of salad, using the knife safely to cut the fruits and vegetables. The son says, “This is a lot! It is enough for both of us for two days!” The mother says, “Remember what Mamma said from now on, ‘The Lord will put food on your table.’”
If you ever find yourself acting like you are out of your mind and blessing blind, you need to stop and look around. You will find out that not only will the Lord provide, but sometimes He has already provided. Just don’t fail to see your blessings and remember what momma said. Love you, my friend! Be blessed!
“I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 4:19 Contemporary English Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King