My financial adviser called me the other day to check on my retirement status. She said that she had looked at my portfolio and did not like how it was performing. She was very concerned about my future and my ability to enjoy my current quality of life. Did I have the same concerns she asked? It caused me to pray about the matter. I was drawn to Psalms 39:19, which says, "In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty." I know that God is not telling us to sit idly by and do nothing. I think what He is telling us in this passage is to enlarge out expectations. I understand that my financial adviser has a job to do and she is thinking in very earthly terms. But I also am afraid that she may be thinking of making sure my cup is full when God is planning to send me a river. I know that my reward in Heaven will be more than I can ever expect. I am not sure if I am really prepared for that. Our God provides more than enough. He is not bound by the same earthly limitations that we are. In fact, we cannot even imagine His abundance. So why are we worried? I know there is trouble in the economy but I am choosing to place my trust in the Lord. I am working and budgeting and spending my money wisely. I am putting aside money for later in life. At the same time, I am making sure to give the Lord His share. I am also making sure I am donating money to others in need. We cannot hide ourselves away and hope everything works out. God is calling us to be bold in our expectations and to serve Him fully. That means we must expect God to provide for us. And when He does, we should be quick to thank Him.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...
Comments
Post a Comment