enough
Have you ever had one of those moments in which you just knew that God was smiling down on you today? Like when you’re running late and you hit all the green lights on the way to work. Or finding a perfectly close parking spot in the pouring rain. Perhaps finding money you had forgotten about, in a coat pocket, just enough to pay for lunch. I love moments like those. It’s as if God is saying, “Yes, I know the things you’ve asked for today are petty and silly, but I love you still and I’m going to give them to you to make your day a little easier. Just try to remember Me today, ok?”
This morning I woke up, feeling a little stressed thinking of all the things I have to do today. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed at the realization that this is the year we move to Colombia, South America and then on to Belize. Yesterday, we met with a friend getting some advice about how to sell our home. And we ended that meeting with a big mental to-do list. I’ve been breaking it down in my head to be more manageable, but there’s just so much to do and only so much time and energy to do. Add on top of that our ministry responsibilities at Westminster, Mike’s thesis writing and licensure exams and ordination preparations, three very busy and active children, and that’s enough to tire anyone out just reading it!
First on today’s list, though, was making a dish to share with the ladies in my bible study at noon. I have two bible studies today (yes, two…I know, I know…)and I already made cupcakes yesterday for the other group, which is this evening. But I hadn’t shopped for anything specific for the earlier one, so I was running through in my head all the ingredients I knew I had on hand. I finally came up with a suitable plan, got up and started rounding up the ingredients to make my dish. I had everything I needed, except for one thing. When I found it hiding in the back of the cabinet, it was nearly empty. I started to panic. I did not have time to run to the store and I didn’t have anything else on hand to make. I decided to measure to see how much I actually had, and wouldn’t you know it…EXACTLY three tablespoons, the precise amount I needed. I actually got a little teary as I thought about God’s grace for me today.
His grace is SUFFICIENT! That means it’s enough…exactly enough to get through whatever we’re facing. It’s enough for today, not tomorrow, not next week, not the next year…but for today. When I start to think about all the things I have to do over the next six months, I get completely overwhelmed, sometimes to the point of being rendered helpless. But then I come back to today. And I know His grace will get me through this day, and it will get me through those days ahead, too. So each new morning, I’m just asking for enough. Enough to face the challenges of that day, and enough to know that tomorrow His grace will show up again and be just what I need for then, too.
(2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Matthew 6:34)