“Ma-pee-ha-mo-affa-iss?”
Translated: “May I please have more after this?” spoken by a 3-year-old whose mouth is stuffed full of green grapes. There were still plenty left in her bowl.
The same thing happened the day before. I packed the kids a special picnic treat–grilled cheese sandwiches. I gave each child a half, and as Dutch was devouring his he asked the same thing,
“Ma-pee-ha-mo-affa-iss?”
I told them both to please just enjoy what they have and wait until they are finished to ask me for more.
It irritates me that instead of just enjoying what I’ve already given them they are preoccupied with whether or not there will be more afterwards.
I wonder if any other Parent feels that way?
Don’t my children understand that I’m their mommy and I always give them what they need, and I never turn them away when they are hungry?
As a few of you know, we’re waiting on where we will live next. This is Jeff’s last week of work at WCC, and we will then dive off into the unknown of church-planting. The lease on our rental is up at the end of September, and we made an offer on a short-sale house a few months ago and are still waiting to hear any news.
Our offer (and employment) expire this Friday.
I know God will provide. He always has. But I must confess a large portion of my prayers recently have been about a place to live come October 1st. I kept reminding God that August 31st is this week and asking Him if He forgot that something needs to happen by then?
And then I remembered my kids’ request:
“Ma-pee-ha-mo-affa-iss?”
He gently returned my question with one of His own:
Kari, do you have a place to live today?
Kari, do you have food on the table today?
Kari, are you alive today?
Kari, do you have water, clothes, a bed, grace, everything you need for today?
Yes. Yes, Heavenly Father, I do.
Have you forgotten My Words?
I turn to them, to remind myself:
“[All creatures] look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.” Psalm 104:27
In due season God provides His creatures their food. That is, when they need it.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:33-34
When we are hungry, He will feed us.
When we are thirsty, He will give us a drink.
When we need a place to live, He will provide.
I don’t need to say, with a mouth full of food, “Ma-pee-ha-mo-affa-iss?”
I just need to enjoy what He’s already given today and trust there will be more tomorrow.
~
How can you enjoy what He’s given today and trust Him for tomorrow? Praying this for us today. Thanks for reading.
18 thoughts on “Ma-pee-ha-mo-affa-iss?”
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Hey dear sister! Yes! He will provide, always has! It’s so amazing how we quickly lose sight of this miracle in and of itself. God provided miraculous healing and I’m still bent out of shape about the echo on Thursday? Really?
In need of meat? God provides.
In need of ….
God provides.
Crazy great!
God will provide!
Amen and Amen!
Love this.=) Perfect analogy.
I needed this today! Thanks for your insight.
LOVE this!!! A much needed reminder for myself. Love you and continued prayers my friend!
As of late I have really been seeing a peace in my heart about the coming month of moves. Today I have two interviews, both for part-time work making less than I do currently now. The “now” I am employed in is not the healthiest of spaces BUT it is the now He has given me. I pray and move forward praying a new place to work and live this fall. BUT now I am at more peace than in the past (I am a WIP:) about stepping into places that are a mystery and that appear to have risk and little or not security according the the world. Yesterday my son and I enjoyed the coast and sand and the beauty of the ocean. This morning I found a bit of sand still with me from the previous day and looked at the small grains and was reminded He loves me with a love that is more vast than ALL the grains of sand. How vast are your thoughts toward us Lord! le-ee-b-hapi-wt-wuh-i-av-TODAY.Trans-Let me be happy with what I have today! Love to you Kari.
Love you–so grateful to walk through all this with you!!
This is so timely! Why? Oh, yeah, because we are ALSO waiting for a place to live! What a good reminder that TODAY I have every single thing I need. I’m not going to worry about tomorrow but offer it to the Lord in prayer. This has been a great opportunity to show our kids what it means to have faith when we pray. It’s a daily topic. 🙂
Oh, and Abby is always asking if she can “have more after this?” Even when we sing a song she starts yelling “Again!” before we are even half-way through. I wonder if I’m like that in my heart? 🙂
Laughing out loud at Abby saying “again!” before the song is over. Hysterical–that’s totally what we do, isn’t it? I love you, Caila. Thanks for your words–we are in this together, walking by faith. Love you, sister!
Kari! Oh how I can relate to this! In our first year of church planting we had an almost 2 year old, I was pregnant with my 2nd and we were living in a 600 square ft studio apartment!! We needed a place with bedrooms before our 2nd was born and we had little money. We made a list of everything we thought we would need to live, buy groceries and pay for bills and prayed over it constantly…and of course he answered it ALL! It was such a painful but amazing growing experience for me as I like to have my ducks in a row 🙂 I love the first part of Matthew 6 where it talks about how we need not worry about clothes or food and how God takes care of the birds and the lilies. He used this so powerfully to encourage me in that time of our need.
The biggest lesson I have learned (and continue to learn in new ways ) in church planting is that the Lord wants me to trust and depend on him to provide for us and build his church.
Thanks for sharing and blessings on you as you keep trusting in Him!
Chris
Thanks for sharing this
Ah…Chris, now you have me in tears. I need to meet you, girl! I think I REALLY need to meet you. Thanks for what you shared. What a stretching time this is but SO good. As you said, oh I’d love to hear more of your stories. Let’s make it happen sometime, ok? 🙂 Bless you, sister!!
Sorry I made you cry! Good tears I know, but still 🙂 Yes let’s make that happen soon! I’ll email you 🙂
Amen! Those words are SO true. Praying for you, friend. God will provide and I am anxious to see what He has for you!
Oh boy. This. Far too convicting the day after I sat on the edge of my bed in a blubbery mess of “but God won’t You take care of this now?” tears. And my mouth is plenty full…even though I forget.
Thanks for sharing.
In my thoughts and prayers…I will never forget the day that I had one can of corn left in the pantry. I had a toddler and I was 7 months PG. I heated the corn up, gave it to my little boy, and he said “I don’t like corn”. I convinced him that he loved corn and today, 44 years later, he loves corn. He doesn’t know why he loves corn so much, but God and I do.
Thank you! So true! Now that we finally know where to next after 5 1/2 mo. It’s really easy to wonder, “what next?” again, since this move is temporary, too. Good reminder to stay in the present!
“What next?” So true! Always looking ahead. Lord help us! Thanks so much…
And it drives me crazy that mine won’t ask for more until their plates are empty! Even if I ask them if they want more they will just tell me how many more bites they have left & that they don’t know if they want more. I like to plan ahead if I have to have seconds ready for them, but clearly that is not a concern for them. 😉
Praying, as always, for you guys. I just keep thinking of all the journeys you have been on–God has always been faithful & He will find a way to knock your socks off once again. Love ya!
Haha, SEE that’s because YOU are so good at living in the moment, your kids have inherited that from you! 🙂 That is so funny, Janae. Thanks for your love and prayers. You’re the best!!