Good Gifts

The spiritual discipline of gathering manna

The picture of provision was a fallacy on my end. For so long I thought that the mark of thriving was abundance, but I soon realized that provision is like manna, gathering the day’s portion and having faith that it will continue to come. Substance in the desert. Bread from heaven. Open-handed generosity.

I’ve had to make manna gathering a spiritual discipline the past few years. At times, I find myself complaining and bitter, and just like the Israelites, I have to count the ways provision has shown up.

Manna Gathering

A business referral randomly deposited money into our bank account one day / Fresh vegetables from friends’ gardens / Doula clients from word-of-mouth / scooping up random needed items on our local buy nothing page / clothes for the girls handed to me in grocery bags / extra plants at the library I was able to pick from and plant / fresh beef from my parents / a cheaper plumbing bill than expected / gift cards for rainy days / the joy of having automatic windows when my car AC goes out / whispered prayers and worship songs / winning a gift card in a photography contest / so many fun children's programs at our local library / using a laundry service when we had washer drain issues / elderly people who take delight in young kids / tons of good coffee on sale at the local discount grocery store / learning the names of the people at the Amish farmers market / coffee rewards cards / sharing kind smiles with strangers / splash pads & fire hydrants & puddles / 2 handfuls of wild black raspberries on a hike / winning free tickets to a baseball game / beach day trips with friends / tagging along on friends’ season passes / free outdoor concerts on Friday nights / s'mores & campfires in our concrete jungle / pressing tiny flowers we find in a heavy old dictionary / farm fresh eggs purchased from a friend / wildflower bouquets / on sale mangos / spotting a Belted Kingfisher on our bird walk / the laughter in our home

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” - Matthew 7:7-11

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Manna."