Money and a Good Latte

“Money and a good latte protect us from a lot of things.” Jennie Allen

I’ve been reading the book, “Anything” by Jennie Allen. She uses this phrase to describe the tendency we have as humans to fill our homes, our hearts, and our heads with all of this stuff to make us feel normal.

We have this idea that being normal means having the husband, the wife, the car, the house, the job, the babies, and the nod of approval from our friends and family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having these things. These are all gifts from God. The problem lies in expecting these things. The problem lies in using these things to hide hurts, relying on these things to maintain a standard, and to ignore God’s call on our hearts.

God doesn’t call any of us to be normal. He wants us to be growing and pushing through the work he has here for us in this short life, until we are called to eternity with him. He doesn’t want us to keep putting trophies on our shelves, clothes in our closet, and appointments in our calendars if those things are taking his place in our hearts.

But those things feel good don’t they? They feel normal. They give us a feeling of accomplishment, of acceptance, and of purpose. And as humans born to sin, that is what we desire. That is what we crave. We want to do great things, we want people to acknowledge and praise the great things we do, so that we can feel like we are doing what we are purposed to do.

The truth is I’ve been there. The truth is I still go back there. Because I don’t know what in the world I’m doing sometimes. Because being normal is so much easier than being who God is calling me to be.

But being normal is not satisfying for long is it? Money and a good latte are good things for a moment. But the money has to keep being made, and the good latte starts to lose its taste, and suddenly you’re looking for something else to fill your cup.

I don’t want to be normal anymore. I don’t want to expect things. I don’t want to find security in my home, my car, my husband, my bank account. I don’t want to find acceptance in my physical appearance, my clothes, or my job. I don’t want to feel complacent and settled in my life.

So should we sell all of our stuff and say, “Here I am, God! You take it from here!”? Ummm no. That’s probably not the answer for most of us. But here is my answer. Here is my prayer, and I hope that it stirs something in you.

“Here I am, God. You’ve given me this life that I love, and I pray that you help me to love you more than the place where you’ve put me. I pray that anything you ask me to do, that I can do it because you are here with me and for me, and not because of anything that I feel I have done. Let my life be yours. Stir me up and set me out on the path that you have set for me. Wherever you call me, I will go, and I will not cling to these things that can only hold me back from you. I know you are going to do great things, Lord, and I just pray that you will let me be a part of your perfect plan. Amen”

Psalm 37:4-6

“Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”