Making Ends Meet

    

The heating and air conditioning system needs to be replaced, the outside of the house needs some work, the furniture has seen better days, the floors need to be refurbished, the appliances are very dated, I probably need surgery number eight, my job is by necessity not by love, and…

     I was dreaming about the previously mention items when I woke up swinging my arms.  My angel of a wife quietly brought me to reality.  Then I heard the voice,” So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” from Matthew 6:31-34.

    Whether our income is small or large, the worry over making ends meet can literally suck the life from us.  My father had a good saying, “The more you make, the more you spend.” We must keep in mind that high income does not equal no worry.  Being a worrier, I used to let this happen to me.  This worrier label is strange, because I’m an extreme risk taker.  I create my own pot of worry, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  The difference between past days and today is my faith.

     For some reason, I seem to be at my best when taking risks.  It makes me feel alive.  My life has always been precarious, at best, when it is traveling along a smooth road.  These past ten years, I have shut down to repair my body from earlier risky missions.  My Lord has always traveled with me and steered me safely in these missions.  Furthermore, I know he has directed me along this smooth road not just to do needed repairs, but also to strengthen my spirit, my faith.  In recent days, I have begun to feel ready to leave the safety of the nest…once again to soar skyward.  Once more, my wings are strong.

  

     We tend to stay where we feel safe, secure.  We feel we must do that to make ends meet when, most often, that security is a myth.   Whether those ends are meeting or not, take a risk, try something new.  Freshen up your life by taking a risk for our Lord.  Occasionally, we need to move from our comfort zones and take risks.  In particular, this applies to our faith.  Take more risks for God, our Father.  If he watches over us in everyday human tasks, how much more will he watch over us if we are attempting to glorify his name.

     Have you a sense of adventure?  Have you faith?  When you find yourself worrying about making ends meet, try taking a risk for our Lord to whom there exists no end. 

Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

(Isaiah 26:4 NIV)