Today’s scripture: Luke 6:20-22 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (John Seksay):
I recently stumbled across an article that resonated with me: John Scalzi wrote a blog about his childhood observations on growing up poor. I think the first item on his list sums it up quite nicely. “Being poor is knowing exactly what everything costs.”
I remember my parents going through the transition from the traditional “Beaver Clever” model of a middle-class family in small town Pennsylvania to the working poor in a dicey urban neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. My parents didn’t divorce and both worked full-time, so we weren’t the poorest of the poor, but life was far harsher financially, socially, emotionally. The word need underwent radical changes in its definitions. Our sense of insecurity deeply impacted how we saw ourselves and the world around us. That view affected every decision each family member made going forward. I call it living on the cusp of uncertainty.
What does a soul learn when the comforts of life suddenly become unpredictable? How precious each one was and how unappreciated it was when readily available without effort. There is a selfishness in human nature that will consider anything we have had before as a natural right rather than a privilege or blessing. If I didn’t recognize the blessing as such, when did I express heartfelt thanks for it? Did resenting the loss restore hope for tomorrow? No, it didn’t. This is the context with which I read the verse “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.”
How can I see poverty as a blessing? Because it conferred in many painful ways insight into what everything costs, and a greater ability to see suffering in others with more compassion.
Having faith in the rain is harder when the rains grow few and far between. Only the hardiest plants thrive under these challenging conditions! When our well is full, the greatest danger to us spiritually is complacency. What is the difference between a person whose well is full and a person whose well is just about empty? They both drink the same water but the taste is quite different. The infusion of uncertainty has a distinct flavor that no other experience can supply. The presence of poverty reminds us that we are not always able to answer our own needs, but the presence of the Holy Spirit can make a little water go a long way!
Thought for the day: How do I respond to the taste of uncertainty in my life? Do I really savor the blessings I have? Have I allowed the Holy Spirit to provide a clearer measure of my well-being?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.