Original Entry: November 30, 2007
Sunriver, OR
31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34
One thing I know about backpacking the wilderness for mule deer is to pack enough gear for each and every possible contingency that may hinder your capacity to find or maintain food, water and shelter. I learned this the hard way in 2007 we got caught in two snow storms and one vicious wind storm at 8000 feet. Water and food were not issues but having the right clothing and shelter were. Thankfully we barely had adequate enough gear to keep us warm and dry.
Two months later I traveled to New Mexico and had to deal with high temperatures. After calling the biologist for the area, four days of scouting, and checking out as many springs and creeks on the topo map as we could, we were never able to find any running water. We followed lead after lead on the map to dry springs, windmills, creek beds and water troughs.
In desperation we turned what New Mexicans call “tanks”. A tank in New Mexico is a shallow, dirt pond and not a metal water trough that we originally thought. It just so happened that where we hunted the "tanks" sat next to an oil rigs that were used as a holding pond of some sort. Our only access to water was to use our water filters to pump water from these tanks. Staring into a pond with a gas slick on the surface and no living creatures in it and can make drinking the water slightly stressful, not to mention a little bit terrifying!
But we survived and came back a few octanes the better!
In this age of technology we rarely think, or consider the source of our next meal, the purity of our water, or the strength of our shelter. Even in the midst of an economic downturn we are truly a rich people living in a wealthy nation. Life still complicates the choices wealthy Americans must make.
One example is when a woman complains that she has “nothing to wear” she actually means she has nothing NEW to wear, and when a man says he has “nothing to wear” it usually means he has it is nothing CLEAN to wear!
We have so many choices.
I actually know some women that have over twenty different shirts of basically the same color hanging in a separate room just for their clothes- a closet!
Then I look at our homes. When will we be content to simply live in them? When will our furniture, landscapes, appliances and décor be enough? We have been poisoned by our wealth and spoiled by our things. Many of us as Christ followers have learned to hedge our faith by walking behind Jesus, but running after food, drink and shelter. Far too many followers of Jesus chase the American dream before they chase Christ.
“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:32-33)..
Which one are you?
Are you the pagan-like Christian chasing the American dream?
Or, are you the passionate seeker of the God of dreams?
