Monday, September 27, 2004

food stamps from heaven

I've been reading Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz lately and it is, in the truest sense of the word, interesting. It has me thinking, and for that, Don Miller, thank you. I don't know if I agree with everything he's saying (frankly I don't expect, or even to be really honest, intend, to agree with everything he's saying) but I'm thinking about it. So for me, he has succeeded as an author. One of the chapters I was reading last night talks about a lady Don saw using food stamps in a grocery store and how the thought hit him that he is not above God's charity.

That stopped me in my tracks. I am not above God's charity.

There is never a day or even a moment when I can truly say "it's okay God, I've got this one". It's all, this whole life, so completely beyond my capabilities that it is ridiculous. But I wonder how often are we, am I, tempted to think "this one's on me"? Morally, intellectually, emotionally, and most of all spiritually I am an urchin in the street crying out for bread crumbs. But God does more than give me food stamps from heaven, he gathers me in his arms, he gives me a name, he brings me home and he lets me call him Daddy.

2 comments:

S. said...

I heard about that book from a couple people earlier this year and wanted to borrow it from the library, but it was always out on loan. What you say is very true... the fact that we are not above God's charity. But I don't nearly think of it often enough. Thanks for sharing. I feel just a little bit more enlightened.

orangejack said...

I've been reading through this book also. I should probably take another flight because I seem to read more on a plane!

If I had to label my greatest struggle, it'd probably be this very topic of thinking I can handle things on my own.

On a side note, glad to see you're a part of the blogsphere also!