Plenty of Grass

Happy are those who are strong in the Lord who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of refreshing springs where pools of blessing collect after the rains.
Psalm 84:5-6

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Well, if you read last week’s post, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, you’re aware that life in my family feels a little uncertain right now. It seems like every day I fight hard not to panic, worry, freak out and, just in general, come apart at the seams. One thing has kept me going--a psalm, which is appropriate because that is after all what these last few entries have been about:

Psalm 37:19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

Don’t get me wrong, my family is by no means facing a famine. We are blessed and will continue to be blessed in the future. After all, God has never let us down before. But it's the thought behind the verse that gives me comfort. In days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

It reminds me of a little miracle Jesus performed for over 5,000 people. Only it’s not the miracle that I'm focusing on in this case. Rather, it's what's penned by the author of the book, John. In the NIV translation, it goes like this:

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).

Such an obscure thing to mention don't you think? I mean if you’re sharing a story about one of the great miracles Jesus performed, why would you choose to include that minor detail: There was plenty of grass in that place. After I thought about it awhile, it came to me that maybe Luke, and ultimately, God, who inspired Luke's words, wrote this with a corner smile on his face: There was plenty of grass in that place,

Remember the part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount when he says that if God cares so wonderfully for the flowers and grasses of the field how will he not certainly provide for us? I think this little phrase, There was plenty of grass in that place is tucked in there as a small reminder that in God’s hands there is always plenty. Plenty of grace. Plenty of mercy. Plenty of love.

God has never let us down and I don’t think that the God who created enough grass for his faithful to picnic on that day would leave out the more important details of providing food for his people and clothing and, just in general, our daily bread.

So with a deep breath, I wake up every day having no idea what the future holds but reminding myself to keep worry, fretting, and fear at bay. Those feelings of insecurity have never done me any good. Where my family and I are right now feels like such a vulnerable place to be. But it’s also a moment in time for us to grow and deepen in our faith looking to God to provide just what we need each and every day.

Being vulnerable is what the Psalms are all about. Being real with God no matter what you’re experiencing in life--the good and the bad.  Our human responses to life’s situations are all there recorded in the Psalms by those who have gone before us. I’m so thankful for that book of the Bible and all I’ve learned from it. I hope this amazing book, Psalms, is one you set out to explore on your own. If you do, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Not in the least.