God Provides the Worms

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

This past weekend we had some friends at our house and one was telling us about a frustration with his neighbor. She (the neighbor) has had an extremely difficult year. Her husband left her and their children for another woman and he refuses to assist them financially. She has had one thing after another go wrong with her house from issues with the roof to flooding of the basement. Although our friend is extremely sympathetic to her current circumstances, he has grown frustrated with her.

He and other neighbors have helped out as much as they can with her household issues and her church has been a tremendous blessing as well. However, recently when her basement flooded he noticed that her dog had dug a large hole next to the basement foundation so he offered to fill in the hole hoping it would keep the water from collecting there and from seeping into her house. Her response was, "I am just going to pray that God will take care of it all." He offered again and again at different times and received her same response, "I am just going to pray-God will take care of it." Here he was offering to help; to be an extension of God's provision to her and yet she just kept praying. He was frustrated.

As we talked, I noticed the birds busily gathering bugs and worms for their food and I was reminded of something my mother in law says, "God provides for the birds, but they still have to go get the worms!" Sometimes God has already provided for us but it might not look how we were hoping it might; sometimes we just want for him to bring the "worms into our nest" for us. He is faithful to provide for His children. May we be open to the ways in which He provides. May we also be willing to gently and with compassion help our sisters and brothers in Christ to see His provision when they are overwhelmed.