In ancient Israel, a father’s verbal blessing was valued in
ways that have mostly vanished from our expectation and experience. And yet even today in the absence of
such blessing we end up obsessing over
replacements for it: stuff that can deny us true
life. (I Timothy 6:19)
I’ve been loaned a book authored by Jen Hatmaker: “Seven –
An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess.”
According to the synopsis on the back cover, the author invited her family
and friends to identify “seven areas of excess" and make "seven simple choices to
fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and
overindulgence” for seven months.
The resulting lifestyle was “deeply reduced” and yet meant “the
discovery of a greatly increased God – a call toward Christ-like simplicity and
generosity….a radically better existence.” Jen suggests we shun excess and zero-in on God’s soul-satisfying
blessings bestowed on - guess who? - those He trusts to share them.
This Memorial Day weekend I considered how our grandkids are
growing up in a world that is becoming more and more complicated. How will their eyes be opened to the blessings
of God in the face of distortion and distraction? What is my role in blessing them with His mercy, grace, and
compassion?
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