15 May 2009, Posted by jessie in the category, 0 Comments

A Jar of Peanut Butter

What does it take for someone to treat a jar of peanut butter like a treasured gift? Perhaps it was the first step of opening our hearts and lives up to God to do whatever He wanted us to do. Maybe it was when, unknowingly, we committed ourselves to the biggest challenge we’ve ever taken on in our lives. Could it have been when we had to give up the securities of home and say goodbye to family and friends? Or was it during the past few weeks, when each day has seemed to get that bit harder?

What does it take for someone to treat a jar of peanut butter like a treasured gift? Perhaps it was the first step of opening our hearts and lives up to God to do whatever He wanted us to do. Maybe it was when, unknowingly, we committed ourselves to the biggest challenge we’ve ever taken on in our lives. Could it have been when we had to give up the securities of home and say goodbye to family and friends? Or was it during the past few weeks, when each day has seemed to get that bit harder?

Whatever the cause, a jar of peanut butter as a simple gift from a group of American volunteers brought a boost of encouragement to help us get through the challenges in front of us. Their thoughtfulness of buying it, carrying it with them, and actually bringing enough for most of us on the team to get a jar was truly touching.

Maybe a jar of peanut butter is just one of the simplicities in life that we usually overlook in our busy, stressful lives. When we can buy whatever we want, eat whatever we choose, spend our time doing whatever we fancy, care for people whenever we feel like it, and live wherever we like, why would we appreciate something so small? After all, it’s just a jar of peanut butter.

Or do we need to reach the point where we give up everything that makes us comfortable, so that we can be humbled and actually be joyful in receiving such a simple gift?