Erathen Vessels and God’s Love

It is possible to enjoy every day of life as an unfolding mystery filled with more gifts then we can hold. But most of us are too afraid of mystery and too busy to find it in ordinary places. We are so obsessed with what we do not have, we can’t see the value in what we have been given. The blessings from God are usually hidden in very plain packages. They come wrapped in things like an evening meal at the kitchen table with someone you love, a child you see playing in the backyard while you’re doing the dishes, a great conversation with a friend… In these earthen vessels are found the treasure of God’s love. ~ Craig Barnes

I have been reading Craig Barnes book Hustling God. I am loving it. The words above speak to one of the great challenges the People of God face as we journey on ‘The Way’ in a consumer culture; God is always reminding us of how very loved, and beloved we are, but we often cannot recognize that because we are overwhelmed by messages that reinforce the notion that we must be busy and productive in order to achieve the next ‘thing’ that will prove we are successful.

How do we break down those walls to allow the mystery that is God’s love to captivate us and set us free that we might see God’s blessings all around us? The trouble is, we have convinced ourselves that ‘blessings’ are God’s reward’s for good deeds, time well served, hard work, great piety etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. God chooses to love us…period…FULL STOP!

While we are busy being productive, successful, consumers looking to acquire the next thing that we do not have, we often cannot see the work that God is doing. We cannot see the blessings around us. Barnes hits the nail on the head; look to the people around you, to the moments you share with people around you and you will see God’s blessings wrapped in the plainest of packages.

May God grant us all the wisdom to not fear mystery and seek to focus less on what we do not have in order to appreciate what we do have – earthen vessels full of God’s love.