Needs

Image by Dorothe from Pixabay

This memory popped up this week, and with Thanksgiving approaching, it seems as relevant now as when I first posted it back in November 2011. 

Needs

I've spent much of my life clinging to a job, a home, financial security, husband, children, and parents, expending a ton of emotional and physical energy. I am not saying we shouldn’t care about people or things, we should. We need relationships. We need things in order to survive, but we need God more.

One of my devotions mentioned a popular chain e-mail. It asked, "Suppose you're house was burning, with all of your family already safe, you have just enough time to take one item with you, what would you chose?"

What if God came to the door and said, "Come." Would I say goodbye to family first or would I have enough faith and trust in Him to step out the door, leaving everything behind? I decided I could just walk away. How could I refuse God when he was standing at the door? 

Another image formed. With nothing but the clothes I was wearing, I embarked on a journey with Him. For a woman who carries a large purse everywhere, and always has multiple suite cases when traveling, this was an intoxicating concept. He even made keeping up with Him easy, matching His pace to mine, and carrying me when I became too tired to walk.

We were deep into a wooded area, far from any town, when night descended. A thunderstorm struck, soaking my clothes within seconds. I could no longer see God or feel His touch. As I considered my desperate situation, a large lightning flash revealed a small cave only a few steps in front of me. The floor of the cave was sandy and dry, but I still shivered in the night chill. I wondered why God had brought me there and then just left, leaving me to die of exposure and hunger.

Lightning hit the tree just outside the mouth of the cave and ignited one of the large limbs. It fell a within arm's reach, and with minimal effort I drug it further into the cave. My clothes were soon dry, and the blaze held off most of the night chill, but I was still hungry, tired and alone.

Even in my misery, I knew God would do two things. He would either provide food, warmer shelter, and everything else I needed to continue the journey  - or He would take me Home where he would fill all my needs, even those beyond my imagination. With that in mind, I could endure short-term hunger and a little cold.

God came to the cave and sat next to me.He entertained me with stories and amazing natural wonders. He assured me that although I missed dinner, breakfast would be indescribable and told me how much He loved me.

I fell asleep, curled next to the fire, covered with a blanket of God's love and peace. No worries, no concerns. I didn't make any do lists or minute by minute plans for the next morning. Nor did I check off a list of all the things I failed to accomplish that day, nor did I recite any list of transgressions. I followed God, and that was all I was required to do.

Now, I can say, if the house was on fire, or if God knocked and said, "Come." I would walk away, leaving everything. I would be selfish (according to the world's point of view, but God will take care of my loved ones and everything else). By choosing God above everything else, life becomes simpler and far less stressful. My burdens are much lighter, especially when I let him carry most of the load.

Thank you, Lord, for being my most gracious Father and for all the blessings you have granted me throughout my life. Amen. 

… And the World Didn’t End

We are a society hooked on devices, except perhaps my husband. He has a cell phone and a laptop, neither of which he uses extensively. However, I love technology and wish I had the use of more. I have emails, social media, book research, and numerous apps that keep me connected, updated, informed, and organized. 

Yes, I did all of that before I had a basic cell phone, but it was more time consuming. Did I have more time back then, or did I do less?

When my Android tablet broke this last week, it forced me to take stock of how much I needed it. I loved some of the apps and the fact it was smaller than my laptop, but not that much lighter, and yet I lugged it around from store to store only using it for a shopping list. Which was ridiculous since I have an online printable program I can access with my laptop. It organizes my list according to the aisles in the grocery store just like the app, but paper is smaller and lighter than the tablet. 

I used the tablet to read digital books, but then I have a Kindle, and it has a free 3G service. 

The tablet had other drawbacks too. I hated typing on the tiny keyboard, and yet I was addicted to having it “just in case.”

Originally, we were looking for mobile access to the internet while we were traveling and the tablet seemed like a good solution. It wasn’t. After some research, it seems a hot spot mobile modem will give us the same flexibility as the tablet and allow us to both use our laptops. 

So, the tablet went away, and the world didn’t end. Imagine that. 

However, I am toying with getting a smart phone when it’s time to upgrade in a few months, but don’t tell my husband. I need to figure out a few good reasons why I need it over the one I currently have. 

Let’s see: fancy apps, smaller than my laptop, and I think it will be fun to have… 

Okay, so the world will keep turning if I don’t get one, but please don’t tell him!

The Savings Account

Since our income will take a huge plunge in a little over two months with my retirement, my husband and I spent hours going over our budget.  We felt we’d be okay, financially, as we will have all our debts paid off, except the mortgage, but it is always better to sit down and look at actual figures, particularly our tax withholding. We sure don’t want a nasty surprise at the end of the year.

And so, we fiddled, plotted, and planned for hours, crunching numbers around every possible scenario we could envision. With the debts paid off, and no work expenses, we’ll actually have more money left after bills than we do now (no surprise there, but good to see the actual numbers verify that).

The Lottery Ticket

Years ago, when my kids were young, my husband was laid off from the job he held for eighteen years. His unemployment and my part time job were not enough to provide for all of our needs and financial obligations. The financial wolves were circling and looked as though they would get in and destroy everything we had worked for.

I thought about the lottery.  I didn't desire, or dream of  millions, just a few thousand,  or several hundred.  I wouldn't need to worry if I could buy groceries, or clothing, or gas, or any of the other necessities. .

I grabbed my purse and headed for the market. I passed by the dinning table. My Bible still lay there from my morning devotions. Overwhelmed by an urge to open it and read the first Scripture I saw, I stopped in mid-stride, set my purse down and  picked up my Beloved Book. It opened to the Book of Wisdom.  The words rose, lifting from the page - impossible ignore.

Pray for wisdom as if it were money.

I did not buy a lottery ticket that day or any other day. We moved forward in faith. Not surprisingly, we always had enough food, plenty of clothing, gas and most of the other necessities we needed.

Later, I tried to find the passage. I searched the entire Book of Wisdom. I knew without question I had seen it, but I could not find it. While searching for that one, however, I found this one.

And if riches be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, which maketh all things? Wisdom 8:5

I have never bought a lottery ticket.

Recently, with all the news reports about the super lottery winners, visions of a winning lottery ticket have returned. A hundred and twenty million. Wow. I could pay off my debts, my families debts, start numerous charities, and the list goes on and on.  However, all thoughts of the lottery vanished after the dream.

As with some of my other dreams (that have proven to be premonitions) all details are precise, clear, as if watching a movie or looking at a photograph. In this one, I was walking across the parking lot of our local grocery store. The wind was whipping up all kinds of debris, and a  small piece of paper hit the side of my face.  I peeled it from my cheek and glanced at it.  It was a lottery ticket - for that evening's drawing. I clutched the paper, convinced it was The Winner.

I never made it into the store. Something knocked me out. When I opened my eyes I was lying on the ground. I had been struck by lightening and my precious ticket had been destroyed. Only black ash remained.

It was obvious, once again, that winning the lottery is not in God's plan for my life. His plan is for me to trust Him, not wealth. I may hear wolves sniffing at the door, but they will not get in.  God has - and will- continue to provide enough for my basic existence (and often more) for as long as I walk this earth. There lies my wealth, far richer than anything the world can provide.