Blessed and pondering

This past weekend while our parents were back visiting Sr. Jordan, our aunt Rose took my siblings and I to Saturday night mass in Grangeville. We planned to go to dinner after church. I was just a little excited. Then I listened to Matthew's gospel and Father's homily.

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. -

Matthew 6:24-34 

I felt squirmish inside. "Why this homily, this gospel reading tonight?".

Fr. Jon, Grangeville/Nezperce's parish priest, had just come home from Kenya. 

Fr. Jon started talking about how the people in Kenya never take food for granted. 

He also shared about building his Mom a house, but was unable to finish on his trip home. 

Of all the nights to be going out for dinner... 

We did still go and we did enjoy ourselves. A lot. 

But the message this gospel is teaching and the reality of what Fr. Jon was sharing stuck with me. Even though I got a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and pepsi, and couldn't finish all my food. GULP. 

No, really, how many things go unappreciated? Unvalued? 

Or a better way to word this would be how many things in our lives do we not see as blessings? 

I want to memorize this bible passage. Matthew 6:24-34. I like to be planned out, pulled together, and over think things through and through. But the gospel of Matthew says, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself." 

God knows what we need. So do not worry about what you are to wear or what you are to eat. 

Count your blessings. There are many.