Half a Cabbage.

A woman (whom my wife knows), who is very very poor, works hard to feed and support her family. 

One of the ways she provides food for her family is by growing vegetables in the rocky soil in her backyard. The soil is not very rich, so she is limited as to the types of vegetables she is able to grow. One vegetable that seems to grow well is cabbage. 

Knowing that her daughter's birthday was coming up soon, she wasn't sure what she could give her. She spied a lovely cabbage that had been growing in her garden and the timing was perfect. On the morning of her daughter's birthday, she handed her a brown paper bag, and inside the bag was the cabbage...well, actually, half the cabbage. 

Her daughter joyfully and excitingly received this gift from her mother.

With the remaining half of the cabbage, the woman prepared a special birthday cabbage meal for her daughter and the rest of her children.

This is a true story. Can you imagine receiving half a cabbage for your birthday, or Christmas? 

What is the lesson, that there was a poor woman who gave her daughter a cabbage as a gift? 

Noooo... 

I hope you can 'take away' disposition doesn't equal limitation!  instead: Lack = Precious!

That's right! We view lack so often as limitation, but what if 'limitation' is the tool to make certain resources precious? But instead, we allow it to rob us of gratefulness, joy, peace, and praise!

When you begin to experience lack... look up, and look around... something in your midst is precious. Start praising!

Take gold, silver or diamonds. Why are they considered precious? Because they are perceived to be scarce or lacking. Take the popeyes chicken sandwiches... there was a huge craze a few months back about those... why? Because of the lack.

But when we are experiencing lack - or shortages, in our lives, why doesn't it feel precious? I submit to you, it's our viewpoint.

Follow me for a moment:

While I encourage you to remember those who are less fortunate? Remember them not to reflect on their lack, but rather, remember for humility's sake and begin to praise God for what you do have - don't let the lack - the illness, the challenging relationship - steal your praise! You are more blessed than you realize. that realization is precious! Your ability to see the blessing in the trial is PRECIOUS! JOY IS PRECIOUS!

For the one filled with holiday cheer, God bless you - truly share the bliss and cheer with others. Don't stop being joyful! But, to the one struggling this season - and many of you in our precious community indeed are, may the rest who are experiencing the joy surround you with prayers and lift you up! 

James 1:17 states,

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. 

If sickness, lack or trial has you down this week, remember. Those things that are both good and perfect come from above, so lift up your weary heads.

"But pastor Aaron, that's not going to change my illness, marriage or bank account"... I agree, but remember, your view cannot change while you keep looking in the same direction, at the same thing. We either walk towards what we see with our eyes, or we walk towards what we see by faith. We have to choose what we will walk towards.

Remember it is possible for half of a cabbage to bring joy depending on your vantage - under the right circumstances. We cannot always control our circumstances, but I can control what my eyes look at. 

Let the lack make precious those things in your life that go overlooked so often. 

After all, gold is nothing more than a rare rock. If a rock can be worth something, certainly you must have a rock or cabbage in your midsts!?

Let's trust God with our circumstances and obey his word, by changing our viewpoints!

God loves you. He is working on your behalf for good, so worship Him in every season - especially in the seasons of scarcity!