Recovery in the Bible (RIB)

ANOTHER OLD STORY STILL TRUE: PARTING OF THE WATERS

For me, great-big-enormous-gaping-wide portals opened up when, finally, I let go of the thing I was holding onto most tightly of all. Until that day, that thing was money, of which we had so little that every red cent was earmarked before it even arrived).

What I finally understood was that a everything is a gift -- it was not my money in the first place, and neither was my job. Everything -- my job, everything I delivered through that job, the fact that I even had a job -- all gifts from God. Once I finally understood that, I felt the need to give back some of what God had given me; I wanted to help God’s work at least a little.

I knew that, if I could somehow unclenched my tight-fisted grip on money and give -- at least a little bit -- to God, then I would have begun to let go of the thing I feared most. Namely, not having enough money. The and nly then, I believed, would the waters be parted. My employer would flourish, my husband would be empowered, and the little money we had would be stretched to sufficiency like the loaves and fishes once upon a time.

Why did I believe this crazy stuff could happen? Because things like this had happened in the past. To the Israelites when they reached their impasse at the shores of the Red Sea. My chances of letting go seem to improve when I pray for guidance and the grace to carry it out. Unfortunately, my beloved husband and best friend did not see this “money thing” the same way I did. He thinks more practically, like this: “We are called to be responsible to the people we owe.” He is right. But are also called to walk in faith, which is right, too.

Therefore, I prayed that God would grant to both of us knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. I rayed we be given the ears to hear what God wanted us to do. I prayed we would be given the power to say yes to whatever was God’s will in this matter of money.

I saw it as another impasse, another shore of the Red Sea. I thought we needed to let go of money and give some back to God. I believed that, if we could have faith in this letting go, then our needs would be met, our scant resources multiplied, or something would happen to make things right. I believed that letting go, in faith, we would be led to our provision for our need.

Prayer at the Impasse

God, I remember Lot’s wife! I saw in her Your message that whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whosever loses his life will preserve it. Help me rebuke worry about our life, what we will eat and what we will wear. You are showing me that life is more than food and that the body needs more than clothing.  You tell us to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness,, and that if we do that first, the things we need will be given as well. Thank You for teaching us that the truly rich are those who have gained freedom from things of this world through confidence that You are our Father and You will not forsake us.

Amen.

This photograph is by Eric Jonas Swensson of Sound Shore Media.