Sustenance: 23 May 2010

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Matthew 28:20

The bird activity has been abundant over the past weeks. As soon as the little Eastern bluebirds left the nest in the little white birdhouse, the tree swallows claimed it, laid their eggs which hatched a few days ago. The hummingbirds and the orchard and Baltimore orioles are hot and heavy into what I refer as the feeding frenzy wars. Ah, let the games begin! The hummingbirds chase the orioles from the feeder; the orioles chase the hummingbirds from the feeder. It's quite an amusing sight to behold several times a day but particularly for our suppertime entertainment. And yet, with all this chasing each other about, each species does get the sustenance they seek (and need) from the feeder in abundance.

Sustenance...nourishment, necessities, requirements, provisions, getting or receiving what we need. Lately I've been pondering yet again the difference between what we need and what we want. There IS a huge difference. Wants are all those things we sometimes think we need but in fact really are the frills - those things or possessions we think we can't live without; those things we think (falsely) that will bring us happiness and joy but that happiness and joy we come to find out is quite fleeting. What good are all those things going to be to us after we no longer walk on this earth in this life?

True needs do vary somewhat from person to person and in pondering true needs, there are the obvious basics of food, water, air, shelter, clothing. But we people are social in nature and need others as well - to love and love us back, to respect, to trust, to seek counsel from. We need people, particularly those we are in a relationship with, to treat us with dignity and, when difficulties arise (as they will and do) we need understanding particularly that there are two sides to every story and "blame" or hurtful words/actions are rarely if ever one-sided. I have learned through experience that some torn relationships can be repaired but some cannot particularly if the effort to repair the relationship is one-sided and rejected by the other. I have learned through experience that some relationships become toxic - detrimental to one's well-being because of things like anger, lying, placing blame, one person thinking they can control the other by laying guilt trips or being emotionally, verbally, and/or physically abusive.

I wonder if at times we rely too heavily on only ourselves or others to provide us with what we truly need. I wonder if at times we are all too willing to neglect thinking about, or remembering, that we all have a God who loves us so very deeply, is so ready and willing to help us carry our burdens if only we believe and trust and ask for Sacred Guidance and Companionship, and who has promised to be and is with us deep inside and all around us every moment of every day and every step along the path of our life.

Peace on the Journey