Okay, be honest now. How long did it take for you to figure out that the Face ID to open your phone is not going to recognize you with your mask on? And having realized that, how many more times after that did you stare at your phone wondering why it wasn’t opening? We are such creatures of habit.
As for yesterday’s Catch on hoarding and scarcity, I have realized I need to replace my time-worn phrase, “There’s not enough” with something better. It feeds the small thinking that will never see a way out of the problem of “not enough.”
Actually, this makes me think about the character Much-Afraid from Hannah Hurnard’s popular allegory, Hinds’ Feet on High Places. The story follows Much-Afraid on her spiritual journey through difficult places with her two companions, Sorrow and Suffering. Suddenly, I’m seeing an allegory about the spiritual journeys of Not-Enough and what he goes through to overcome his fear of running out of resources and how he overcomes and gets to have a new name. And I know what his new name would be. It would be More-Where-That-Came-From, thus celebrating a favorite phrase from dear friends of ours, the late Horton and Edna Voss.
It was Horton’s favorite phrase whenever they faced a crisis or a financial challenge, he would simply come up with some small gesture and say with a smile, “There’s more where that came from,” basically announcing he had made provision so as not to run out of whatever it was they needed as a family. And if they were ever in a position where he wasn’t sure where it was going to come from, he never let on that he had any doubt. He just kept believing and kept figuring it out and doing what he had to do to provide. It was his way of assuring everyone in the family that he was in charge and everything was going to be okay.
Jesus always provides for His people. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want for anything.” (Psalm 23:1) Where I’ve gotten this wrong in the past is thinking God was some kind of magical genie. Rub the lamp and He would show up to grant my wishes. I realize now that I’m the guy who is supposed to take care of this. I’m the Christ to my family. I am to love my wife as Christ loves the church. Can you imagine going to Christ with a need and having Him say, “Oh, I’m sorry, but I don’t have enough to take care of that”? I don’t think so. God is always spot on with everything. So if He can’t grant our request for some reason, it’s not because He couldn’t do it if He wanted to; it’s because He has another plan.
So look for a new allegory about Not-Enough and his two companions, Fear and Hoarding. I’m open to suggestions.
John Fischer The Catch 
Now is the time for creativity! (There aren’t enough masks, so my wife it gets busy creating some). I’m sure there are many other examples of how the body of Christ is meeting the needs of those all around them “faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” I Peter 4:10.
Another great Catch Pastor John!
My suggestion is I thought of as was reading Today’s Catch which I learned from my hero in the Amway Biz, A Diamond Brad Doyle (May He RIP) He would often say,”There’s power in your Words – in that you get what you say.”
After I became better friend’s w/ him. I asked him where & how did he learn about that? After a chuckle & big smile, he looked kind of surprise b/c he knew I love the Bible, and thought I knew a lot of it. So he suggested a good little book for me to read, which I’ve simply forgotten the name & author, yet I do remember it referenced the book of James and the power of the tongue a lot!
PS He also often said in God’s Kingdom he is not a Diamond. Ohhh in Amway Diamond is quite wealthy and no longer needs a job, yet owns a Biz that generates a good size of monthly income.
Think if I am remembering correctly, the title of the book: “Ask & you shall Receive” yet forgetting the author’s name. But it’s built on Matt. 7:7 and the book of James.
Thank you, Mark. Sounds like a good one. A lot of this has to do with attitude, doesn’t it?
You’re right Pastor John it does have a lot to do w/ attitude, which I never really gave it much thought until I was in the Amway Biz, plus a fellow engineer had a lili poster in his area by Charlies Surgon (sp?) a fairly well know Christian Pastor all about attitude & it being the only thing we all can control….