Revelation

I had a bit of a revelation this morning during my prayer time. I am a lot like the Israelites and Moses. The reading is Numbers 11: 4b-15. It starts out, “The children of Israel lamented…” They are not just lamenting in a kind of sad depressed way; they are complaining too. They are tired of Manna and want some meat. I have always pictured Manna as a kind of light bread/shaved coconut type food. I thought it sounded pretty good. I had never heard of the description which is, “Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin. When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil.” That seems like a lot of work to me. Not the flaky, light ready to eat snack that I was thinking. The Israelites complain, instead of being thankful that they have some sort of food. They lament instead of asking politely if Moses could ask God for some diversity to the menu. How many times have I complained about gifts that I don’t feel quite measure up to what I wanted? My children are such gifts, but in my mind sometimes their life doesn’t quite measure up to what I think it should be. Obviously, the problem is not with my child or God, but with me and my lack of appreciation.

Then Moses goes to God and complains about the people complaining. He takes on the burden of the people instead of giving the burden to God. “Was it I who conceived all these people? Or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying the infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers? Where can I get meat to give all this people? I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.” But God provided the Manna, Moses didn’t. So it seems that Moses is turning to himself, putting the burden on himself to provide, when it is God who will provide for us. How often have I cried to God in a similar way? Has God ever asked me to carry these burdens by myself?

Today, I thank God for all His many blessings. I thank Him for my family and my children. I thank Him for creating us. I thank Him for the gift of my Faith. I ask him to help me with all my burdens of the day. I ask Him especially to help me carry these burdens that give me a heavy heart.