The berries on the tree
These are the berries on my dogwood tree in my front yard. These are the berries that the squirrels have been endlessly feeding off of for the past few weeks. The first time I heard the chattering and clawing I looked all around wondering what that annoying racket might be and then I saw the squirrel crouched on the tree branch, berries between its little hands nibbling away. I thought to myself I am happy that my tree can provide food for those who need it.
Does the racket of others who feed off of the berries of others trees annoy you? Do you think each squirrel should own their own tree, plant the seed, water it and watch it grow before it should have the treasures of the berries? Of course not we humans are happy that the animals of the world have found a way to be nourished and taken care of by God.
Yet, how do we treat humans? We complain that the government has programs to help those who need the food. Some of us even want proof that they “need” the food given to them. We complain that there are those who abuse the system that spoil it for the rest of those we find “worthy” of the nourishment. Do we have the right to judge who has true “needs” and those whose “needs” are fake? Is it for us to judge whether that man on the street corner holding the sign has a job, an addiction or a home? Is it the right of each human to look down on other humans if they are not as “good; clean cut, educated, well dressed and well mannered” as we are? Who appointed us as the judge of who should be given what is needed and who should be denied?
We treat the birds of the air and the squirrels of the field better than we do our homeless and less fortunate and they are human just like us. Yes, I said like us. Do you think God thinks you are better because you do not eat out of a dumpster and you have a $300,000 home, 2 cars and a huge bank account, because you are a responsible well dressed citizen?
God sees our hearts, our souls and He sees past all the earthly details the clothes, the possessions and the pride. God knows if we are generous, open and kind or if we are selfish, judgmental and apathetic to the rest of the human race.
So the question is are you ok with feeding others from the fruits of your labor, regardless of their amount of “need”? Will you leave that up to God and just give for the innate goodness that God placed in your heart at the beginning of your life? Or will you complain of the endless chatter that is caused by those squirrels eating away at your treasured berries that God so graciously bestowed upon you?
Lori, I love this! My husband and I made a decision long before we married that we will be generous without question … and be faithful to pray for discernment.
AMEN Lori!! (sounds like I’m talking to myself, lol). God bless you for having the boldness to post this. I have felt this way for a long time. It saddens me deeply to see so many Christians fighting to avoid having to do what the gospel teaches us to do! It’s heartbreaking, really. Fact of the matter is, we should be giving to others out of love – regardless of our perception of their need. We should not even need a government mandate to do so. We certainly shouldn’t be fighting laws that seek to help others in need, even if it is at our expense. We must remember to hold on to our resources loosely, as whatever we have been blessed with is not ours in the first place. It belongs to God and we are to use it for HIS glory. I don’t believe that being unwilling to bless someone else because WE don’t think they deserve it is glorifying God in the slightest. In fact, I believe that it is this kind of behavior that makes Christians look like hypocrites and leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the non-believer.
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” ~ James 2:15-16
Amen! I know several people who dislike Christians for this very reason. ‘How can you claim to be a Christian, if you are so hypocritical’ they say of people they see proclaiming their faith, and at the same time condemning the less fortunate. IT’s very sad. And it pushes people away from God, instead of drawing them nearer through good example.
The key here is that we give because we choose to. Our government should not take it from us, ie. redistribute. Our belief in God causes us to give. He alone should judge us and everyone else.
Lori, I love this post. I have a hard time with the way most people treat the homeless especially. I ran a program through our church several years ago to assist a homeless shelter in our community. It was so rewarding to see them taken care of and growing. We need to be doing more to help those who can’t help themselves, regardless of how they got there.
I agree with Roger.
The Lord loves a cheerful giver.
One last thought, how did Ruth provide for herself and Naomi? Did she stand in line for foodstamps or did she glean the fields? Was Boaz forced to pay taxes so that the poor in his community could eat or did he allow them to glean the fields, as the Lord asked of him?
When it comes to the sparrow, the Lord cares for ever last one and has provided a way for them to find nourishment, and we should not worry either.
Lori, you wrote:”Do we have the right to judge who has true “needs” and those whose “needs” are fake?” – I would say not only do we have the right- but the obligation…. perhaps not on an individual basis- ie. a beggar on the street- I’m not going to run a background check- but are you implying that the government should take our money and freely redistribute it without any checking?? Sounds a little frightening to me
We are born in the world is not our will. We can not choose to live according to our will to be who. We were born because the will of the Almighty God as Creator. So we should not live with the restless, complaining and despair. Enjoy this life with expression of gratitude to the Creator and cheerful to our fellow human beings! Be ourselves a useful and beneficial to the horizon of life especially to our fellow human beings.
If we would only see people the way God sees them, we would treat others and think about others very differently. What a thought provoking post!