From My Daughter. Matthew 7:2
Some time ago, my 14 year old daughter promised to send me a little humorous example from her life that demonstrates the verse from Matthew 7:2, “And with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” I thought it was a worthy effort and so am posting it here for a wider audience to enjoy. This is what she sent me …..
Our church is currently studying ‘Personal Spiritual Practices’ that we can use to build our walk with God, and also to ‘let our light so shine…’
Three or so weeks ago, the ‘Personal Spiritual Practice’ we were studying was ‘Giving’. One of the key verses used, and one that stuck in my brain, was the verse that says “…And with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matt. 7:2).
Well, two days later, some of my nieces and nephews came around, and I was making breakfast for them. My brother asked me to put together some yoghurt with nuts and fruit in it for him, seeing as I was doing it for the others as well.
I finished making my nieces’ and nephews’ breakfasts, then quickly made my brother’s and mine. Usually, I am allowed a few more of each kind of nut than he is given, so I was trying to give him all the nuts he is allowed, and was also giving myself the couple extra that Mum had said I may have. I was having apple and banana in mine as well, but my brother just wanted banana.
As I was doling out the nuts, the verse Matt. 7:2 popped back into my head. I thought to myself “Well, I can’t really give him more than he’s allowed, can I?” But then I thought, “Although, I could always give him some of mine, couldn’t I?”
At that point, I came up with a thought that made sense at the moment, but in hindsight was ridiculous. “I can’t give him any of my nuts now, as all my nuts are in my yoghurt already.” It didn’t occur to me that as soon as any nuts landed in his plate they’d have yoghurt on them anyway!
All the same, I was wrestling with this thought. Finally, I popped just one extra cashew into his bowl, mixed them up, and announced to him that the yoghurt was ready. I took a mouthful or two of mine (which was much larger, due to the fact that I had quite a few more nuts and he didn’t want any apple), then put it on the edge of the bench so I could attend to a mess on the floor.
As I was crouching down, I heard my brother come into the kitchen behind me. He asked “Is this one mine?”, and as I had already moved mine from the centre of the bench to the edge, I knew that the only one left had to be his. “Yes”, I replied. He took his bowl and returned to his seat. I finished whatever I was doing, collected my bowl, and found a seat myself.
I was halfway through my yoghurt when I realised that I was missing the moist apple that I was used to. In fact, other than just a few nuts and the boring old yoghurt, I’d tasted nothing but banana!
By then, my brother had almost finished eating my breakfast with the apple and extra nuts, so other than a bit of disappointment… “Nooooo!” … well, I just had to accept what had happened. Obviously, he had seen my bowl on the bench, and assumed that I had set it aside for him. He told me, “I rather liked that apple”!
I remembered how Matt. 7:2 had been in my head as I prepared our separate bowls, and realised that despite missing out on a few nuts and half an apple, this would serve as a humorous, literal reminder to be generous to others. It also reminded me that God definitely has a sense of humor!
There you are Mother. I love you:)