After the Israelites were allowed to leave Egypt and head off for their Promised Land, they found themselves hot, dusty and very thirsty. “Moses, what have you done to us? There’s no water here in the desert!” Believing they were facing the death of their children and that they were better off in slavery (at least they had food and water back in Egypt), the people were angry with Moses. Arguing and complaining wasn’t far behind.
When Moses turned to God and asked for direction, he was given specific instructions: gather the church leaders, take your big stick, and go pound a rock. Moses did as he was told and *BAM!* water for everyone. Problem solved.
That story came to mind today at a meeting of the DUMA Board of Directors. We gathered around a table, with at least one chair between each of us, to devise a plan for the Food Pantry. One week from today, dozens if not hundreds of people will be in need of food for their survival. With nationwide restrictions changing daily, sometimes hourly, the seven of us found we had more questions than answers.
Most of our volunteers are senior adults who should remain at home for their own protection. Will our young, healthy church friends step up to fill gaps?
We need to follow guidelines that will certainly be different from day-to-day. Can we keep up with the changes? The challenges?
Children are home from school, and store shelves are looking bare. Will there be enough food for the distribution?
There we sat, looking square in the face of a barren land – a desert, if you will. We have never been in this place before, and it looks dry. We have fresh memories of how things were healthier just a short while ago. The promise of better times ahead isn’t going to quench our thirst for answers, and potentially we could see folks begin to be angry. Arguing and complaining may not be far behind.
Just then someone named a truth – a reminder of the faithfulness of God. On past days, when the pantry has had more food than visitors, additional people have come. On the other hand, when the pantry has smaller amounts of available resources, fewer people have had needs to meet. “Somehow God always makes it work,” he said. “We will get through this, too.”
What a beautiful assurance we have in the Moses story. When in doubt, our path is clear: turn to God, gather the church leaders, grab the needed tools, and go pound out a solution. We may not have all the answers, but God will make it work. *BAM!* Problem solved.
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Beth
(Exodus 17:1-7)
When Moses turned to God and asked for direction, he was given specific instructions: gather the church leaders, take your big stick, and go pound a rock. Moses did as he was told and *BAM!* water for everyone. Problem solved.
That story came to mind today at a meeting of the DUMA Board of Directors. We gathered around a table, with at least one chair between each of us, to devise a plan for the Food Pantry. One week from today, dozens if not hundreds of people will be in need of food for their survival. With nationwide restrictions changing daily, sometimes hourly, the seven of us found we had more questions than answers.
Most of our volunteers are senior adults who should remain at home for their own protection. Will our young, healthy church friends step up to fill gaps?
We need to follow guidelines that will certainly be different from day-to-day. Can we keep up with the changes? The challenges?
Children are home from school, and store shelves are looking bare. Will there be enough food for the distribution?
There we sat, looking square in the face of a barren land – a desert, if you will. We have never been in this place before, and it looks dry. We have fresh memories of how things were healthier just a short while ago. The promise of better times ahead isn’t going to quench our thirst for answers, and potentially we could see folks begin to be angry. Arguing and complaining may not be far behind.
Just then someone named a truth – a reminder of the faithfulness of God. On past days, when the pantry has had more food than visitors, additional people have come. On the other hand, when the pantry has smaller amounts of available resources, fewer people have had needs to meet. “Somehow God always makes it work,” he said. “We will get through this, too.”
What a beautiful assurance we have in the Moses story. When in doubt, our path is clear: turn to God, gather the church leaders, grab the needed tools, and go pound out a solution. We may not have all the answers, but God will make it work. *BAM!* Problem solved.
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Beth
(Exodus 17:1-7)
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