[394 words]
Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One teardrop asked the other, “Who are you?”
“I’m a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. But who are you?”
The first teardrop replied, “I’m a teardrop from the girl who got him.”
Life is like that. We cry over the things we cannot have, but we might cry twice as much if we received them.
There is ample proof, even apart from the Bible, that receiving what we want does not always work for the best. Take, for instance, Buddy Post of Oil City, Pennsylvania. In 1988, Buddy won the lottery amounting to $16.2 million.
Now, you would think that such a windfall would have brought him all kinds of rewards, but it did not. From that day, his world collapsed. He was sued. He was arrested for assault. His brother was convicted of plotting to kill him. His wife left him. His winnings were lost in court battles with his ex-wife and the State of Pennsylvania. Buddy would have been much better off if he had never won the lottery.
It is indeed possible to weep as much or more after receiving as having never received at all. Unless we are talking about receiving whatJesus offers. In Phil. 4:11-13, it’s written, ”Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
This text bears out the value of contentment. The writer says that no matter what his circumstances, he is content. Whether he wins an earthly prize or does not, he is content.
How does he gain such contentment? !t is through Jesus. He said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
I wish we could all learn this. It is not what we gain, materially, in life that provides inner peace, joy and self-worth. It is what happens on the inside. It is about the choices we make. It is about how much we are letting Jesus influence our lives.
Floyd Kaiser
Southwest Church of Christ
Ada, OK