This week my wife and I went
to a farmer’s market about an hour away.
It is one of the largest in the area,
and they are open only one day a week.
You find a tremendous variety of fresh,
and imported, fruit and vegetables.
Also there are many meat counters,
bakery stands, and vendors selling
plants, flowers, and other goods.
The day was near perfect.
Temperature was in the 70’s (low 20’s Celsius),
low humidity, and the sun was shining brightly.
Always attracting a huge following,
today the crowd was massive.
The place we choose to park is a bit out of the way
and we usually have no difficulty finding a great spot.
This time, however, we were lucky to find
a space in the corner sandwiched between
an oversized pickup and a tree.
Thankfully our car is small.
If you have ever had the privilege of visiting
one of these markets, yearning for wonderful
things to eat, you know that you end up buying
more than you had anticipated.
It took us over 30 minutes to find our way
out of the complex through the maze of traffic…
but it was worth it.
We are so blessed, in this country,
with an abundance and variety.
Sometimes I think we have too much…
too many choices, too much of a “good” thing.
I get a headache just looking for a particular cereal
at the grocery store… so many different types
and lots of variations of each type.
The problem of “too much” lies in the temptation
of overly possessing or indulging,
and desiring these things
more than our God from whom all
good things come.
And never let us forget others
in their need as we follow
the will of God.
“Do not love or cherish the world
or the things that are in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
love for the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world -
the lust of the flesh
[craving for sensual gratification]
and the lust of the eyes
[greedy longings of the mind]
and the pride of life
[assurance in one's own resources
or in the stability of earthly things] -
these do not come from the Father
but are from the world [itself].
And the world passes away and disappears,
and with it the forbidden cravings
(the passionate desires, the lust) of it;
but he who does the will of God
and carries out His purposes
in his life abides (remains) forever.”
– 1 John 2:15-17 AMP
to a farmer’s market about an hour away.
It is one of the largest in the area,
and they are open only one day a week.
You find a tremendous variety of fresh,
and imported, fruit and vegetables.
Also there are many meat counters,
bakery stands, and vendors selling
plants, flowers, and other goods.
The day was near perfect.
Temperature was in the 70’s (low 20’s Celsius),
low humidity, and the sun was shining brightly.
Always attracting a huge following,
today the crowd was massive.
The place we choose to park is a bit out of the way
and we usually have no difficulty finding a great spot.
This time, however, we were lucky to find
a space in the corner sandwiched between
an oversized pickup and a tree.
Thankfully our car is small.
If you have ever had the privilege of visiting
one of these markets, yearning for wonderful
things to eat, you know that you end up buying
more than you had anticipated.
It took us over 30 minutes to find our way
out of the complex through the maze of traffic…
but it was worth it.
We are so blessed, in this country,
with an abundance and variety.
Sometimes I think we have too much…
too many choices, too much of a “good” thing.
I get a headache just looking for a particular cereal
at the grocery store… so many different types
and lots of variations of each type.
The problem of “too much” lies in the temptation
of overly possessing or indulging,
and desiring these things
more than our God from whom all
good things come.
And never let us forget others
in their need as we follow
the will of God.
“Do not love or cherish the world
or the things that are in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
love for the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world -
the lust of the flesh
[craving for sensual gratification]
and the lust of the eyes
[greedy longings of the mind]
and the pride of life
[assurance in one's own resources
or in the stability of earthly things] -
these do not come from the Father
but are from the world [itself].
And the world passes away and disappears,
and with it the forbidden cravings
(the passionate desires, the lust) of it;
but he who does the will of God
and carries out His purposes
in his life abides (remains) forever.”
– 1 John 2:15-17 AMP
Thank you for such an uplifting and inspiring post. I really enjoyed reading the posts on your blog. I would like to invite you to come over to my blog and check it out. God bless, Lloyd
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