Enough

 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”  Matthew 6:31

My daughter has a problem. She is not able to recognize when she has enough milk on her cereal. I will pour the perfect amount of milk on top of the dry cereal; the perfect ratio of cereal to milk, and without fail she will ask for more milk. “It’s not enough,” she will say.

“Yes, it is. Just eat it,” I say.

(Insert pout/whine/“hmph” noise accompanied by a disapproving frown. Crossed arms for added effect.)

I say something like, “You can either eat or get dressed, but stop pouting.” Then I go about my morning chores and ignore her as she starts to eat, making sure her face maintains a disapproving, “I know better than my mom” expression. Gradually, she finds it hard to maintain a scowl as each bite reaches her tummy and fills her up contentedly. By the time she has finished her cereal, she is downright happy.

“I’m done,” she says, then runs off to get dressed. And EVERY TIME there is milk left in the bottom of the bowl. And EVERY NEW MORNING, this mistrust of my milk pouring skills is deemed “not enough” at first inspection.

I don’t get upset about the milk in my bowl each morning. I eat eggs for breakfast.  But when it’s time for me to get dressed, I wonder where all of my clothes have gone. How can my drawers and closet be brimming over, and yet I can’t find anything to wear this day?

“Didn’t you just buy three new tops two weeks ago?”

Well, yes, but I have since worn each exactly three times. I have nothing to wear today.

“You have enough.”

 BUT…

“You have enough. Get dressed.” (Insert huffing and puffing.)

 Okay, fine, LORD.

Then I go about my day, and all day long, I am wearing clothes. And all day long, the rest of my clothes still were brimming out of my closet and drawers. And God was faithful to provide for my every need this day, too.

This morning, a breakthrough happened at my breakfast table.

I poured my daughter’s milk over her cereal, and she said something so profound, I had to do a mental double take. “That is the PERFECT amount of milk, Mommy.” And then, in a rare good morning mood, she ate it.

How many months and months of mornings did it take for her to finally trust my judgment?

How many more months and months of mornings is it going to take for me to actually “consider the lilies of the field,” and recognize that “they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:28-30)?

Thank You, Heavenly Father, that You always provide more than we need. Please forgive us when we fail to recognize it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.