Day by Day
We have these ocean screen savers that play on our television. There are jellyfish, schools of fish, sea lions, sharks, and more. One, in particular, is of a humpback whale. The whale is alone on the screen and begins to roll around in a big circle in the water. It seems so content to just be swimming along enjoying the environment it was created to live in.
I’ve been thinking a lot about these sea creatures this past week.
They aren’t trying to prove anything. They aren’t competing with one another. They aren’t worried about tomorrow or the next day. They aren’t wondering what to do next.
I’ve also been noticing the scurry of squirrels that live in our yard. They run around on our fence all day long and jump into and out of the trees. Some mornings we wake up with them chasing each other across the roof of our house. They are often gathering nuts and their nests are visible in the trees.
Our neighbors have a pretty serious bird feeder, with at least four different contraptions from which the birds can eat. And despite the neighbor's best efforts, to prevent the squirrels from getting the seed, it is not uncommon to see birds and squirrels eating from the bird feeder at the same time.
And again I find myself noticing how these animals God has created aren’t worried about, well, anything, it seems.
It reminds me of the passage in Matthew 6, beginning in verse 25.
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much for you - you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
What if we could be more like the humpback whale, or the birds, or the squirrels? What if we could just live fully into who God created us to be without worry or concern about what might be? What if we could remember that when we set our eyes on God’s kingdom we are aligning with the work he is already up to and we can trust him day by day in all things?
What if we focus on the truth that Yahweh is our shepherd and with him, we don’t lack? Do we really believe that is true, or do we have a list of all the ways we feel a deficit?
It’s not so comfortable for me to sit with these words “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And yet these words from Jesus are an invitation to remember he is enough. No matter what else is happening.
Just as the whale can roll and spin enjoying its place in the ocean, I too can rest in Jesus enjoying the life I have been given. On the easy days and the hard days, I am never alone. And neither are you.
~ Melissa