TheNarrowRoadPursued

“Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”” (Luke 12:13–21, NLT)

Jesus speaks directly to human reality: greed, wealth, life, death, gratefulness, responsibility and stewardship addressed in a few sentences. We are no different today than those who heard these words when they were first uttered. We still search for treasure and never seem to find enough.

Luke records additional teaching from Jesus worth absorbing and applying. I challenge you to ‘read on.’

As I contemplate this passage, a myriad of ‘should of, would of, could of’ come to my mind. I’ll be bold and focus on one question. Why couldn’t this man be deeply grateful for his present abundance rather than push away that present pleasure for a time when he had more?

Quite some time ago I visited a man in a local hospital. I had not met him before, but quickly learned that he had worked well and diligently his entire adult life. He planned on doing such and such with his wife in the years to come, and had amassed enough wealth to do all he desired.

He died less than two weeks after his retirement. He had not been ill, nor was he the victim of a tragic accident. His widow was despondent. Yet she taught me even in the midst of her deepest grief to be grateful. She had all the familiar questions related to why God would allow her husband and the dreams they held together die. She did not dwell in the house of uncertainties. She instead went to her barn of plenty. She spent a lot of time telling me how grateful she was for her husband, of how he loved her, and the things they were able to do together during their shared past.

Since I already had a disposition to value time differently than most of my contemporaries, what I learned interacting with my new found widow friend applied immediately to how I marked my days; especially my days with Michelle.

Michelle and I share a ‘full barn,’ As I peruse its contents, it is easy to thank God. We’ve lived on both coasts of the United States and explored most of the land between. We were blessed with three children we adore and added another three via adoption along the way. We’ve attained the status of grandparents and are engaged in the lives of the next generation of ‘littles.’ We served two marvelous congregations of Jesus-followers which allows our present family to be extensive. We built a home of our own together and are enjoying trying to see if I can ever get the house to a ‘finished’ state. Even more to celebrate is tucked away on shelves and in numerous crates.

Do I want more? Yes. Will I be content with what God abundantly put in my present barn?

I am committed to be content and to continue to cherish the minutes, hours, and days as I have done in the past.

Michelle makes the present circumstance far more tolerable by her allowance of the sweet aroma of Jesus to continually be pressed out. Make no mistake Michelle is exhausted by feeling as she does and desperately desirous of a ‘lesser miracle.’ Tears and sorrow are present. Still, Michelle chooses the peace that surpasses understanding and that is ‘barn full’ in itself.

Michelle’s pain is fairly constant. The amount of substances she has to use to keep pain tolerable must be regularly increased in order to be effectual. She is incrementally losing the full use of her right arm; a likely consequence of cancerous and fractured vertebrae.

She is still alert and able to walk and be independent. More for our barn.

We continue to pray for her healing, against the threat of paralysis and for grace to continue to be thankful for the abundance God provides.

“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, AMP)