When Will We Learn?

By Nelseena Lehmann / Digging Deeper Media

I have seen this scripture manifest itself so much lately and I felt lead to write a quick note.

But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

For most of my life, I have been cash challenged. When that is the same story different verse, one tends to believe that if you just had a little more money, things would be all better. Problem is, money spends, devalues, disappears as it is just a fiat form of currency, an inked up piece of paper, that we have been conditioned to believe has intrinsic value… That is a whole other rant.

What I am learning and should have learned long ago, is that our basic needs are like the livestock we have been challenged to care for in the circle of life. Animals don’t need money. They need food and shelter and air and water and that pretty much gets the list. It isn’t until we decided to domesticate and confine them that they started to require all of these other needs. If a cow is allowed to graze, she will walk to where the best feed and water and shelter from the sun, rain, bugs, wind, snow, whatever adverse condition plagues her.

If only people were that smart. We have yet to learn to walk away. Sometimes out of fear, we hesitate to walk forward. At any rate, our needs become very different according to environment. Money won’t buy peace, or good health, or good decisions, or work ethic, or character, values, morals, integrity, valor, or manners. Money won’t buy love or opportunity or talent. Money will buy you headaches and responsibility and stuff. There are a couple of other things that have come to light that money can’t buy. The timing of support, the peace of another chance, the courage to leave a toxic situation either in your home or workplace. The sand to get sober and the tenacity to stay clean. The grace to deal with death and disappointment and shattered dreams and broken promises.

Money cannot buy patience, or gentleness, or conscience.

I recently had some very dear friends in a tight spot. They love their beautiful dog so much. She fell ill and required an animal hospital stay. As you can imagine it was quite expensive and mentally taxing. They could swing the expense, but the dilemma was somewhat about where to draw the line, where do you say enough. Their girl got to go home and she was somewhat better but far from her old self and the question became is she really getting better, is this the best she is going to be? Are we doing her justice, is it time for her to cross the rainbow bridge? These are wonderful, responsible, intelligent, discerning, rational adults. They made the decision to let her go. They called me and I was broken hearted for them. I had no words, no advice. I had been praying and the words that came to me were not typical of my diatribe. I told Kris, “Belle is tough, give her a little more time.” I had tears in my eyes, that did not come from me. Those words were put in my mouth for Kris and Belle and they were from God. I take no credit.

Belle is home, she is better, and she is living her best life with the best people who love her so much. It was not a need of money, it was a need for direction. It was a need for a decision that they could live with and one that brought peace. I am not qualified to make those decisions for someone else. I had no words. The little bit of wisdom I had to offer was not from me, it was God answering their needs and our prayers. I was just a vessel.

I have been struggling with a situation. A certain amount of toxicity seems to creep in and even though it is a long time love of mine. Perhaps, the battle is not worth the toll, not worth the scars and the emotional challenges. I knew in my heart I needed a change, I had to make a decision and I had to change the atmosphere. My self worth, my productivity, the status of my head and heart were all affected, but the coward in me would not make a call. I was too afraid of the consequences.

I am notorious for having all the answers in other people’s tough moments, I am however quite self oppressing when it comes to making good decisions for my life. Well the Belle situation worked to motivate me to pray for discernment. My God will supply all of my needs according to His riches and Glory. So I prayed. God, you know what I need, you know the situation. I want an answer, no, I need an answer. In His time.

Should you have not learned this lesson by now, I will share mine with you. God has very unconventional ways. Just because I think, I feel, I whatever the emotion may be, God is the Father. It is going to be His way and it is going to be perfect and it is not going to go how you have it layed out in your head or in your heart or on the graph paper. He has a plan and He doesn’t need my help, I just need to follow the path He provides.

I will certainly say that He is an awesome God and I will spare the details to protect the innocent. God came riding in on His horse and made it very clear and arranged a concise path that I must take and when I mentally made that choice, peace washed over me and you cannot put a price tag on peace. I will tell you what He used and this will make you laugh. God used a death threat to show me something else. I have never been so tickled in my life. A death threat turned into an invitation for a life changing event. God is so good and best of all that need has been met. The pieces have been in place for a long time, but it took God’s hand and my heart being in a position to receive and it’s all better.

As I close, I will leave you with this. God is working on your problem before you realize you have a problem. He works all things for His glory. He hears your prayers and He only has two answers to prayer. Yes, and I have a better idea. Told you He is unconventional.

Be Blessed and be a too.