Gloriously Plenty
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Gloriously Plenty …
Dandelions?
Jeremiah 31:14
I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, Says the Lord.
1 Peter 4:10
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
Words of Grace For Today
On the walk to the lake the path is covered with pine cones fallen from the trees, and husks of pine cones eaten by squirrels. One steps on the path, after so many days of pine cones coalescing into a soft carpet, with comfort even for arthritic feet and hips. This just as the view of the lake’s waters opens between the branches of the trees.
This is repeated in a few places where more pines grow than the weed-like trees, the poplars.
And the population of squirrels need not forage for food at all. So they multiply, and multiply. And steal more and more insulation from my camp.
God also provides plenty for us. If you have ever seen a combine off-load it’s grain into a waiting trailer, filling and sometime overflowing, the cavernous grain haulers, which in turn off-load their fill into even larger trains of semi trailers, which in turn off-load their fill into grain bins, wider and taller and more in number every good harvest year, which in turn are loaded into mile long trains of grain cars …
If you have ever seen this process of grain hauling, grain flowing, grain filling larger and larger containers then
well then you have seen an example of how God provides gifts to each one of us, and multiplies them as we gather to share what we have.
God does not give gifts for us to hoard them. God’s gifts of wisdom, intelligence, physical strength, determination, communication, charisma, leadership, handiwork, trades skills, compassion, inspiration, faith, and (most of all) love really only shine and provide us the goodness of life when we share them with others,
as the pines share their pine cones to form a cushioning carpet, and to feed those darn squirrels.
So, yes, sometimes what we share with others does not produce blessings.
God knew this, and prepared for it,
and walks with us to bring us through the evil that others ‘share’ with us,
(and to help others through the evil we ‘share’ with them),
and renews life with forgiveness, redemption, healing, and a bounty of more gifts,
and always overflowing, steadfast love
like a cool, refreshing breeze
that cannot be held,
only enjoyed.