All we need.

When we say, "I love you," and say it from the heart, 
we can give another person new life, new hope, new courage.
 –Henri J. M. Nouwen


Parenting is a tough job. We live in a world that screams, “Buy this! You really need that!” And our children and grandchildren see the smiling, happy faces and the bright, cheerful colors, and begin, at some level, to believe the hype: If I can just have the newest PS game, one more Lego set or Barbie doll, I will be really happy!

And why shouldn’t they believe it? The grownups in their world get caught up, too. The newest cell phone . . . a shiny new car. . . .

Apart from the fact that none of these things will make us happy, many families can’t afford these gadgets, anyway. But we all just want the best for the ones we love. We just want them to be happy.

Imagine how God must feel.

God understands our desires for more, but weeps because God also knows that if we would simply slow down and look around, God has already supplied our every need. God’s love for his creation is beyond our wildest imaginings. And yet—we keep chasing after “stuff.”

Think of it like a math problem, some deductive reasoning. The Beatles tell us all we need is love. Scripture tells us God is Love. Therefore, all we truly need . . . is God. That God, whose very nature is Love, can take many forms in this world, but not one of them can be bought at Target or Best Buy.

God is right here, right now. All we need.


Monday If you are able-bodied, choose today to leave a close-in parking space at the mall or grocery store available for someone else. Ruth 2:4-9

Tuesday The food banks in our communities are always in need. This week, pick up some tuna, macaroni & cheese or other pasta and drop it off at a kitchen or food bank. Ruth 2:10-13

Wednesday No matter what your politics, pause today and reflect on the life of a nation’s leader and their family, living in a fishbowl. Pray for them. 
2 Samuel 7:18-29

Thursday Pay attention to the strangers today with whom you interact: people in line, a cashier or server. Pray for them and their families. Philippians 2:5-11

Friday Is there someone in your life who inspires you? Someone whom you admire or consider a role model? Have you told them? Today would be a great day to make a call or drop a note. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, thank God for the people and opportunities you have had in your life that made you who you are today. Rest. Psalm 17:6-8

Sunday So many opportunities in this life! How do you feel drawn to make a difference? Make a call, make a date-- and invite a favorite friend. Each one of us counts. Luke 14:12-14

There is only one thing God asks of us-- 
that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, 
people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough.

That is the root of peace.
—Brennan Manning (“The Ragamuffin Gospel”)

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