Subscription Lists

I had high hopes as I grabbed the bag of Halloween candy off the floor. I was straightening up the house today, the Saturday after Halloween--the only Saturday we've been home in years. I mean months. Football season is almost over, which is evidenced by the mess in my house. Toward the end, we always wonder if we will survive the busy-ness. We also try our hardest not to pray the boys lose so the season will hurry up and get over.

The bag was a clear, orange plastic that looked half full of candy. I was really hoping there would be something good left—dark chocolate, peanut butter cups, coconut. I knew the candy would help ease my pain of having too much work to do.

I took the bag over to the trash can to get out a few wrappers that I surmised as been left in it. I opened the bag and started picking around. Ooh, there was a yucky sucker stick—no three! Then I collected a handful of empty papers. By the time I had finished digging around and throwing trash away, I had only discovered three pieces of candy in a bag that looked half full. Since they were hiding in the bottom of the bag, you can imagine that they were pretty lousy pieces of candy.

Ughh! I was so disappointed. I thought it was just what I needed—but the candy feast never panned out.

I thought of all the other times I have had high expectations—the big paycheck which is never as big as expected, the great gift that was not exactly the right thing, the party without the perfect guest list.

As I worked this week with the not-quite-right paycheck, I remembered this verse: "He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Luke 12:31, Living Bible.)

All I need?

The whole passage reads like this, and Jesus is the one speaking: "Don't worry whether God will provide it for you. These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Luke 12:29-31)

If I need the full bag of Halloween candy, God will give it to me. If I need a bigger paycheck, God will give it to me. If I need a different anything, God will give it to me.

Sometimes I believe God gives me just what I need, so I will continue to make the Kingdom of God my primary concern.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

How Does God Refill My Emotionally Drained Empty Tank?