Bread for the JourneySample

What I Have

I begin this reflection with a fragment from the poem Life is a Dream by Calderón de la Barca. "They tell of a wise man who one day was so poor and wretched that he only survived on some herbs he gathered. 'Is there anyone,' he said to himself, 'poorer and sadder than me?' And when he turned his face, he found the answer, seeing another wise man gathering the herbs that he had thrown away."

These verses illustrate what happens when we think our situation is terrible and we immerse ourselves in a sea of complaints and laments. We see ourselves as targets of misfortune and feel we've been forced to live through things we don't deserve. We get into a comparison game, always looking at the one who has more, the one who, from our perspective, is better off than us.

The wisdom of the wise man in that famous poem was that he looked backward. Instead of raising his gaze to those who seemed to live better, he turned his head to realize that others were living in greater misery than he was. In the following verses, the wise man gains perspective, sees himself as a complainer, and is grateful for what he has, which is undoubtedly more than what others have.

God's wisdom, which is above all other wisdom, tells us: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV) When this is real in our lives, we live gratefully; we focus on what we have and not on what we think we lack.

Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, but He was born in a manger meant for animals. As He Himself said, He had nowhere to lay His head. Those who accompanied Him were sometimes with Him, but at other times they were far away. When He needed them in His moment of greatest anguish, they fell asleep. When He was arrested, they ran away without a second thought. Yet, with the exception of Judas who betrayed Him, all of them became the pillars of the foundation of His church. His life is our example.

When we do as the psalmist and tell our soul not to forget the benefits we receive from God, we are showing a grateful attitude. We will always find blessings in our hands, spiritual blessings that enrich our soul, and blessings we can see, touch, and enjoy.

For our joy, we should follow the divine advice to give thanks for everything and be content with what we have. “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20, NIV)