Matthew 6:25,33: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?…33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (ESV)”
When we first went to the Philippines we couldn’t work and receive any money from the country itself. All of our finances had to come from the USA, our home country. We shared our vision with churches and individuals who then partnered with us financially. However, we ended up going to the Philippines under supported.
After getting paid once a month, I would go shopping. Of course, we had only so much money to spend. I felt rich at the beginning of the month and poor at the end.
What would you do if you had only a little or no more money left to even buy food at the end of each month? How might it make you feel? How might it make you think about God’s concern and care for you?
Grocery shopping days as I learned to adjust to another culture could be a very taxing event! One particular day I decided to do all my monthly shopping in one day and get it over with. I dragged myself out of bed while it was still dark at around 4:30 a.m. and headed out the door by 5:00 a.m. I got to the meat market and, as best as I could, picked out what meats I wanted, took the meat home and laid them out on the counter. In Bohol, Philippines, meat wasn’t packaged nicely and refrigerated as in the USA. The meat hung from hooks and you had to guess what was what.
I took the meat home before going to the next place. I laid the meat on the counter thinking,“I have time to do the rest of my shopping, then I will come back and cut up the meat, put into freezer bags or refrigerator with the rest of the food I will buy. It should be fine. We do this all the time back home in the States. Right?” So out the door I flew, not too confident but convincing myself the meat should be okay.
When I arrived back home with the vegetables and fruits from the open market and food from the grocery store, I was exhausted. I was tired emotionally and physically from the cultural differences. However, I knew I had to put everything away and still cut up the meat.
When I got into the house I was surprised to realize how hot it had gotten in just two hours. The sun had come up and the humidity on this particular day seemed hotter compared to other days. We had no air conditioning in those days. As I approached the kitchen, I realized their was a smell! “Oh no, the meat! Being new to the Philippines, I hadn’t learned yet that the meat is not processed like ours, and with the heat, and being out of the refrigerator for a long time, since before I bought it too, it had gone bad.
“Oh no, our whole month’s worth of meat was spoiled and couldn’t be used.” I felt terrible. I knew we didn’t have any more money until next month. Guest’s were coming over that night for supper. “What was I going to do?” I was so looking forward to having them over, welcoming them into my home, and serving them. Now all was ruined! We were without money, without a meal, and I was upset and out of patience.
All of a sudden, the only thing I knew to do was start crying. In the midst of the rush I had forgotten to bring God into the situation. And, just as a little child, I turned to God, as if it was his fault and He now had to fix it. “Lord what should I do?”
I heard a small still voice telling me something that I had often heard before but took for granted. But now the words from Matthew 6 meant something big to me. God was saying something like this: “I know every grain of sand on the beaches in the world, I know every strand of hair on your head, I feed the birds, I take care of the flowers, you are made in my very image, you are my image bearer, would I not take care of you too?” Ouch!
What would be some good next action steps? I now had a choice to make. I could continue to cry and feel sorry for myself and be upset, or I could choose to trust, look to Jesus and put my confidence back in God.
I told my husband and we had to tell our team members and our friends the situation, since they were the one’s coming over for dinner. They ended up loaning us enough money to get us through the month and told us we didn’t even have to pay it back if we didn’t want to. How sweet!
God was calling me to sit at his feet and listen to His words. To seek Him first. He provided people to come along and help us, in an embarrassing, humbling moment. It felt devastating because we were without money or food and people were depending on us. Yet God did care and was there. He understands about the little things and the big things. Those principles from God’s Word took on new meaning that day. My relationship and faith dependence on God deepened. He gave me direction. This is only one story but “God does care!”
Personal Reflections: Have you ever experienced a situation like this in your journey? What was it like? How did God reveal himself to you? Maybe you are experiencing this story right now. Share it with someone or let us know how can we pray for you? By telling your story, others can be encouraged that they are not the only ones experiencing these life challenges. We want to hear one of your stories: please put your thoughts in the comment section of the blog, “Food Goes Bad”
From one pilgrim to another together on the journey,
”Consider how you may spur one another on towards love and good deeds….. encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
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