Observation: The Israelites have been complaining in the wilderness that there isn't going to be enough food for all of them. God responds by sending manna from heaven. But there's a catch: the people are only allowed to gather enough for the day (and two days' worth the day before the sabbath).The rest of what they collect goes rotten immediately. The point of all this is to help the Israelites learn to trust in God, that God will show up tomorrow just as God showed up yesterday. Hoarding is not necessary, and it isn't helpful.
Application: As I read a little about God providing manna in the wilderness, there's a little, judgmental part of me that wants to make this all about toilet paper. To point fingers, to laugh at the sometimes nonsensical things people do out of sheer panic, rather than pay attention to the best information available. I am hearing stories from friends in retail that make me wonder if I should be laughing or crying. The irony does strike me, that there would probably be enough if everyone were willing to take enough and not more. Still, just as I gather my thoughts to say so, I realize something: I have been hoarding too.
I've been hoarding information. I've been scrolling through Facebook (even more than usual, if you can believe it) to hear the latest information from the CDC, and global news, stats and charts, national and local news, friends' hot takes and think pieces, funny memes that might not be that funny in six weeks, and genuine concerns that strike me as funnier than they should. It's just piling up like you wouldn't believe. I've been in conversation with our church leaders about what to do, and without thinking about it, I'm dashing to the heavenly cash register with three carts packed full to overflowing with ideas, questions, information, information INFORMATION. In my way, I'm hoarding. Mind you, it's good to stay informed, but I realize the mental hoarding is coming from a similar place to physical hoarding: a place of scarcity. A place of fear. A place that, like the Israelites, says, "better stock up now, because who knows what God will do tomorrow..."
But deep down, I know exactly what God will do. God will show up for us. God will give us our daily bread. God will give me enough guidance to make the choices I need to make today, and see them through. Tomorrow is God's problem.
The stark reality is there's no amount of information that will make a hard decision easy, or an uncertain future clear. You can hoard it or you can get what you need, pray about it, and do what you have to for today. And if you do the latter, you will also have some more bandwidth to listen and pray with your neighbor who is also struggling. Either way, God will show up tomorrow.
Prayer: God, thank you for showing up this morning. Guide me through this day of discernment. Give me enough faith, enough wisdom, enough common sense, enough love for my neighbor, enough energy to make that love real. Help me trust that what you give me today will be enough. Amen.
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