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Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
-Psalm 112:5
My two year old niece came down the stairs the other day to head to the playground. She was dressed for the adventure... and carrying a heaping armload of her favorite things. Her mother was taken by surprise, and as she contemplated how to ask her to scale back, my niece proudly announced with a grin ear to ear... "I have too much stuff!" Apparently, this was an achievement, rather than a dilemma.
Perspective is everything, isn't it? She and her mother agreed she had too much. But perhaps not that that was a good thing. I think this is common to us adults too. We acquire perhaps far too much and we are scared to leave any of our favorite stuff behind... or share it... or give it away. Meanwhile, God looks at us and shakes a weary head. Perhaps less fortunate people do too, or people who will have to sort and sell our favorite stuff when we pass away. It would of course be little use to reason with my niece that her armful of stuff will keep her from enjoying her walk or the playground or time with friends. Nor would it help to remind her she may lose some things or maybe having too much is a good reason to give to someone with nothing. But shouldn't those clear reasons be sufficient for us with maturity, age, and wisdom? Those of us with faith?
It's easier to giggle at the logic of a toddler than to buckle down and take our own advice. It's easier to judge or be amused than to take our own advice or God's word and build our life on it. Do we have too much? Enough? If so, can we step out in faith and be generous, watching the joy it brings, rather than walking around with our arms full until we can lay it all down to be buried? I'd rather look at my arms, smile like my niece, say, "I've got too much stuff..." and find people who need it. That's what we will do this Sunday. Come join us.
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