Oh, to not have a care...   (March 7, 2009 07:49 AM)

The other day some friends stopped as they were out on a walk by our home. As we stood out in front of the house on an uncommonly warm March Iowa day, we noticed a couple of squirrels playing in the trees across the street. They were effortlessly jumping from one tree to another and from branch to branch. Up and down, round and round, they encompassed the tree chasing each other as if they were playing tag. "Oh, to not have a care..." I said to my friend as we stood mesmerized by their carefree activity.


I suspect like me you have noticed that it seems like every newspaper and TV news show is talking about the state of our economy and what our president and leaders are or are not doing about it. It seems like every day another 'stimulus' announcement is made while the market just keeps dropping and more and more friends and neighbors lose their jobs or homes as businesses continue to cut back or close. I personally don't agree with many of the decisions being made by our leaders, and in part I wish none of this was happening, but that just isn't reality. I don't have a better solution so I hasten to criticize, but it seems to me that throwing excessive amounts of money at every situation is likely not the best answer.

Whether we like it or not we are all a part of the problem and, if we so choose, can be part of the solution. In our greed as Americans, we have become accustomed to the 'easy' life and 'instant' gratification. Bigger houses, multiple cars, fast food, HDTV, mobile telephones that provide just about anything imaginable in the palm of our 10 year old child’s wanting hands. The list could go on and on, but the point is we all want more, bigger, faster, better everything and anything, and we expect to pay less or nothing at all for it. You say, "But I don't have all those things." Well maybe not, but do you ever find yourself wishing you did or resenting those who do? I for one stand guilty as charged. We have been lulled into a false sense of entitlement where we think we deserve everything we want at no cost. I am not saying everyone in America thinks or lives that way, but I fear too many of us do. Somewhere along the years we foolishly began to impart that thinking on our Government. To many, it has become the Government's job to fix whatever goes wrong in our lives while we do nothing to help, all the while demanding lower taxes. Now I am not suggesting that those in Government are blameless when they needlessly over burden good programs with careless spending on programs that they have no business funding, or simply just making bad decisions, but like us, our Government is not perfect.

Many times in my life I try in vain to solve a problem inevitably picking the wrong solution because I am relying on myself alone to find the answer. I get self absorbed and believe I have more power that I really do, and I am afraid to ask for help from the one I know can make me, like the squirrels, care free. Yep, full circle back to the squirrels.

All I could hear was the low squeak of the chair I was slowly rocking in as I was reading my devotional and praying this morning. All at once I was startled, then distracted, then finally inspired by yet another squirrel. Those little feet went scattering across the roof over my head as he was passing from one tree to the next in my yard. Not a sound I was expecting to hear, but glad I did.

It brought reminders of God’s promise in Psalms 55:22 that I can cast my cares on the Lord and He will sustain me. Jesus elaborated further on this in Matthew 6:25-34 reminding us of God’s great love and care for us. He reminds us that since God cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields with great splendor even though they don’t “sow or reap”, “labor or spin”, that He will do all that and more for those who believe in Him. He goes on to encourage us to “seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” While I’m sure Jesus did not intend this as justification for us to do nothing while getting all we desire, He clearly points out what we are to do first. Part of seeking his kingdom and righteousness is praying for our leaders and our country, even if we disagree with or are persecuted by them. God has not and will never allow any man to become a leader without His full knowledge and control. When we begin to place more trust in our World leaders than our heavenly Father, we can easily become disillusioned and cynical. We begin to worry and think the problem is ours to solve, when in reality God still is and will always be in complete control. Take heart and know you serve a God who loves and cares for you and will always provide everything you need, just seek Him first… then be worry free like my friendly squirrels.

I am reminded of a song we used to sing at the end of each service in a Church I attended…

"I know who holds the future, and I know who holds my hand. With God things don't just happen, everything by Him is planned. So as I face tomorrow, with its problems large and small. I'll trust the God of miracles, give to Him my all."