The other day, I did something that I rarely do--I bought my favorite cake from a nearby bakery. I love this bakery's blueberry pound cake so much that I wanted to savor each bite. I made sure to only eat a little each day, so I could stretch out my enjoyment for as long as possible.
After a few days, I came down to the last piece. I put my treat onto a plate and poured creamer and sugar into my coffee before sitting down at my breakfast nook to eat.
I'd already fed my son his breakfast--toast and peaches. He sat in the kitchen floor now, looking through a book filled with farm animals. I smiled, ready to relish every bite of my cake.
As I was about to dig in, my son stood and came over to the table. He pointed to the cake and grunted (he's 16 months old). I could see in his eyes that he wanted my precious cake. Since I love my son, I cut the cake in two and gave him half. Even though I really wanted the cake for myself, I also wanted him to enjoy its sweetness.
I felt good inside, knowing I'd done the right thing by sharing. I looked out the window at the cold, blustery day outside and smiled before taking a sip of warm coffee. When I glanced over at my son again, I saw him wandering across the kitchen, cake in hand. The next thing I knew, my son was feeding the precious cake to our dog!
I bet that's how God feels when he gives us a talent or gift, and we waste it.
The word "squander" keeps on coming to my mind lately. I think God is trying to teach me to use what's given to me wisely--talents, money, time.
My husband and I don't live an extravagant lifestyle--he's a teacher and I'm a writer who would make more working full-time at McDonalds. But my husband's job position was eliminated recently and he had to go back to classroom teaching. Money has, needless to say, been really tight. I half-joked to a friend recently that money doesn't make you happy but a lack of money can make you miserable. I look back to when my husband had a better job and when I was working not only as a writer but also part-time at my church. What did we do with all the money we made then? Easy... you make more money so you acquire more bills.
I really think that God is showing me that whatever the amount of money, we must use it wisely. Looking back, I can see many places where money could have been better spent. We should have eaten out less, given more to charities, placed more in savings. I feel like we squandered our money.
The Bible has a lot to say about squandering what we've been given. I'm making a vow to appreciate each thing God has given me .... instead of feeding it to the dogs.
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Christy Barritt is the author of HAZARDOUS DUTY, a chick-lit mystery about a flip-flop wearing, music-quoting crime scene cleaner who sticks her nose into police investigations. For more information, visit: www.christybarritt.com.
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