Straightening the Cupboard
~ by Gunilla Norris
Cans of soup, packages of pasta, tins of tea,
flour, salt, and sugar.
I wipe down the shelf and line up the staples again.
There is comfort here and danger.
When I look into this well-stocked cupboard
I can sense the temptation to think I am secure...
a secret pride in "what I am able to provide."
Some of these cans have been here a long time.
Am I secretly hoarding?
Before I even open the cupboard,
before anything, help me to reach for You.
My pride is silly.
The hoarding, a lack of trust.
There is no supply outside of You.
Empty me to receive You each day.
This is truly amazing! Looks like you are ready for winter.
ReplyDeleteI love that you wrote this and you have photos of your canned items.
ReplyDeleteThere is such a fine line to walk when talking about hoarding and using what God has provided for you and being a good steward of your resources. Where is the balance? I suppose it is in the fact that You did not let good foods go to waste, You are taking care of your family by providing nutritious meals from the abundance that the Lord has blessed you with. It would be far less prudent to eat what you could whilst it was ripe and ready for the picking. And not preserve the left overs that would have gone to waste. God Supplies in His timing we must be ready to be that good steward.
I should also make this my prayer.
"There is no supply outside of you Lord, You are the daily abundance poured out, empty me to receive YOU each day."
Stacey - thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI want to make sure it's clear, however, that the words in the post are not mine; they come from Gunilla Norris, from her book Being Home. I was reading it yesterday and was moved by her prayer.
I liked YOUR point about God supplying in His timing and us being ready to be good stewards - yes! Thanks! :)
beautiful "harvest" and beautiful prayerful thoughts. happy day to you!
ReplyDeleteLoved your post :)
ReplyDeleteI just love the way canned jars look!!! I haven't canned in several years your pictures made me miss it....I will have to book mark this post and come back to it next summer for inspiration :)