Yesterday I did the “husbandry” thing to do and went to a craft show with my wife and one of our daughters. What I didn’t know is that this craft show filled the gymnasiums of two different schools and much of the hallway systems. And these were not small schools! I left them to wander off on my own because my interests and theirs were different.
As I looked at all the booths I was astounded at the rare talent that some people have. I thought, “We need to tap into more of the artistic talents in our churches. Truly they are gifted from God.” As I continued on my adventure my mind began to think of my mother and how much she would have enjoyed seeing all the crafts. It brought tears to my eyes as my thoughts often sway toward her during the holidays.
I soon came upon a woman who was selling homemade rugs that she had made with her own Loom. I stopped and talked with her about her Loom and her business. She appeared to be a hardworking, honest person who needed the money from the sale of the rugs. It reminded me of my grandparents. My grandfather was retired at age 48 from heart disease. He bought a Loom and made rugs out of discarded rags and clothes. And my grandmother sold Avon to try to carve out a meager existence. They would have also enjoyed the craft show.
I noticed how aggressively some people were buying things and I wondered what they were going to do with them all. For some, buying is a way of filling the empty voids in their lives. My mother and my grandparents could have easily went to a craft show like this and not bought anything and still enjoyed it. Probably they would not of had any money to spend anyway but they could have genuinely appreciated the skill of others and the beauty of their creations without having to have one themselves. It’s called “the blessing of going without!”
Too often people form their lives around “things” and possessing them. Their garages and attics are full of “things,” never to be seen or used for years. The thought occurred to me as I walked through the craft show that my grandparents formed their lives around people, as did my mother who no doubt learned it from them. Not having a lot of things or money to buy them can lead you to the a very basic lesson in life and that is, “If people are so important to God and He loves them so much that He sent His own Son to die on a cross that they might have eternal life, as His children people should be important to us too!”
There are a lot of people in this world who have never experienced “the blessing of going without.” What a pity. Many of them have lots of “things” but not much for people in their lives.
Remember, wealth is measured by what you have left after you lose everything. Wealth is not measured by what you possession you have but who you are. And the richest of all are those who have great families, great friends and a great relationship with a great and loving God.
This Thanksgiving, I pray that you can be as thankful as I am. I have truly been blessed. As you read this you may be literally as poor as a “churchmouse” but if you have a great family, great friends and a great relationship with a great and loving God it doesn’t get any better than that. You are rich and have received “The blessing of going without!”
Eph 3:14-21(NIV)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
