Freedom From Want

Norman Rockwell, 1894-1978

Painted in 1943 as part of a set of "Freedoms" to promote war bonds

We’re teaching Henry how to sing for his supper.  Well, he can’t really sing yet, but we like to sing our prayers of grace.  This 15 month-old loves music and he knows to look to our faces to spur us to sing off-key as we start our meals. 

We have our breakfast favorite:

When I get up, I’m thankful for a brand-new day.
When I get dressed, I’m thankful I can run and play.
When I sit down to eat, I’m thankful for my food, 
and most of all I’m thankful for a God who is so good.

  The classic standby:

Oh the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord
for giving me the things I need:
the sun and the rain and the apple seed.
The Lord is good to me!

  And Henry’s favorite, from the VeggieTales video Madame Blueberry:

I thank God for this day, for the sun in the sky, 
for my mom and my dad and my yummy apple pie, 
for the love that He shares ‘cause He listens to our prayers.  
That’s why I say thanks every day.  

Many times I’m wrestling with Henry’s bib as I sing, trying to keep him from flinging applesauce before the “Amen”.  The singing of the grace becomes habitual, perfunctory.   I have to remind myself to stop and think about why we sing it.  There is magic in these songs, in their simplicity.  God provides for our food, for the sky, for relationships, for our health.  Taking the time to say (or sing) grace reminds us of these truths.  God is more than we’ll ever need. 

As a blessed middle-class American, I take my food for granted.  Indeed if you’ve seen me, you know I’ve eaten more than my share of it.  And even in these uncertain economic and political times, I take for granted the fact that I have clothing, freedom to worship my God openly, a roof over my head, and an abundance of applesauce (Henry’s favorite).  I even take for granted the wonderful truth that I have a God who listens to my prayers. 

There is a new fixture at our table this week.  As we sing our graces, we see our Covenant World Relief bank in the center of the table.  It reminds us that there are many in the world who have nothing at all – no clothing, no homes, no food, and sometimes even no parents.  What they do have is a God who listens to their prayers.  

We are doing our best this Thanksgiving season to be an answer to some of their prayers – by saving our change and putting it in the box.  Singing out our grace to Henry, we try to explain that there are children in the world without applesauce.  Children who Jesus loves…People who are hurting…People we can help.  We put our dimes in the box and pray for those who have so little. We thank God for the blessing and the responsibility of having so much. 

Won’t you join me in saving your dimes, nickels, quarters and dollars for Covenant World Relief?  What a gift to be an answer to prayer.  Just think – someday soon, someone will be saying grace over a meal YOU helped provide.

Grace & Peace,

Leah Smith

17 Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life. 
1 Timothy 6:17-19

To respond to this message, please send your emails to: lsmith@ecreekside.com 

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