Daily Bread

In the last week or so, I've done some worrying about finances. Not today's finances. Not tomorrow's finances, but the year 2014's finances. That is when our home equity line of credit switches from the "draw period" to the "payback period". By then, my 401K funds could be completely depleted and we could be required to make drastic changes in lifestyle if I am not employed at a certain pay level. With the dire predictions of how long the recession and employment difficulties could last, I had begun to entertain some worry. I went on-line to use a mortgage calculator and input different amounts of principle, time frames and interest rates to see how much our payments will be....

It was after this that I was in my closet, and looked at a laminated page with the Lord's Prayer that I'd recently hung on the wall. As I considered this very familiar prayer, my mind stopped on the request "Give us this day our daily bread".... Give us this day our daily bread. The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray asks God to give us the bread we need for this day.... I was worrying about 2014 and God said "Janet, I want you to trust me each and every day for your needs for that day. You don't need to know about 2014. You don't need to know about 2010. You need to trust me today to provide for today and repeat that each and every day. I'll show you the way at the appropriate time. "

I am well aware of how blessed I am that I have resources to draw upon and that my concerns were not about how to get milk or bread this week. So many people live paycheck to paycheck and being unemployed has put them into immediate crisis. It humbles me to realize that while I'm learning to trust God regarding a possibility years away, many Christians are truly trusting God on a day to day basis to meet their most basic needs.

Our church supports a local food bank, and this was the Sunday to bring items this month. I'm ashamed to say that I've been negligent in months past about remembering to take items. This Sunday I didn't forget... As long as I have food in my pantry, I want to help meet someone else's needs. I hope that I never have to wonder where tomorrow's bread is coming from, but I know that God is faithful to meet my needs.