Look Again

Nate’s prayer over lunch today was something like this.

Thank you for my awesome family.

Thank you that we have enough food to eat.

Thank you that everyone in my family loves me.

Thank you that we don’t struggle to live.

That is my 9 year old son, recognising the gifts he has in his life.

Sometimes I have to look again to see the gifts, because I get a bit jaded, tired, unhappy, or discontented.

 but I am blessed.

Each Thursday morning, as I look out my kitchen window – between the bars that are in place to protect me from those who may wish to harm me or take what is within the walls of my home. Burglar bars. They separate me from them.

And on Thursday mornings, “them” are desperate people.  They have to be desperate, otherwise they would not be digging through my maggot laden garbage.  Looking for treasures amongst trash.  Little bits of still-edible food. Discarded clothes.  Hand-me down shoes, without too many holes.  Empty butter containers.  Dry cardboard….

I don’t need bars to separate me from them.

I need to see them as Jesus sees them.  His precious children in need of more than what they can find in that garbage.  Much like the woman at the well.  We all need more than the water and food of this world.  We need Jesus.  And with Him, we won’t hunger and thirst, because He has eternity waiting for us!

That seems easy for me to say on this side of the bars though.  How would my faith be if I was the one digging through someone else’s trash?

Soul searching today….