When I was growing up, I noticed we had a very minimal weekly dinner selection. Dinner options were slim but you could always guess that one dinner was going to be spaghetti. It didn’t bother me until I got into high school. One day, my grandma could tell I got annoyed because we were having leftover spaghetti for dinner. After complaining about it for a while, I remember her sitting me down and sharing about our financial situation. I was aware that we didn’t have a lot of money but was unaware of how bad it was. So bad that she shared that she and my grandfather had to sell all their jewelry, recycle cans out of dumpsters, and ask for help. She then explained how we would get groceries from the church weekly and would work with whatever we got. As I sat there feeling bad and slightly embarrassed, my grandmother grabbed my face and said we are blessed and God is our provider. I sat there for a second guessing what she said because my grandparents love the Lord but it seems to me he doesn’t love them back. Though I doubted that love, my grandmother fully embraced it and made it clear that regardless of what we have, in this house, we will have a heart of thanksgiving. My grandma would reference Leviticus 2 and explain that it’s a great reminder that God is our provider and we should have a heart of thanksgiving.
I share this short story with you because if we can be honest, life gives us so many challenges that we tend to get into a place of worry and doubt. Many know that God is a provider but we get so fixated on our issues that we will doubt that truth. I have found myself doing that many times in my life. If you’re like me, when you find yourself in a place of worry or doubt read what Jesus says in John 14:27:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
What a beautiful thing to know that Jesus says he will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from him. When you feel the stress of life, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Jesus’ peace.
JT