Re – Entry, God Is Enough

I found returning to the United States and Helena much harder than I expected. I was overwhelmed by consumerism, options, and technology. I went to Costco with my wife the day after I returned and all I could see was a bunch of people saying “I want, I want, I want…” kind of like that little girl on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It is now four days later and I still feel overwhelmed by our culture. Coming home from Guatemala has left me with one most obvious lesson and that is “God is enough”. The poor have very little and when things get worse they always know they have God and that is enough. That is an amazing thing to see, and lesson to learn. They are happy because God is enough. In my opinion, we seem to have surrounded ourselves with distractions from this truth. We somehow believe that our next purchase, or our next relationship, or our next vacation is what is going to make us happy. Our kids want the newest next thing that is going to make them happy. We so easily forget that God is enough. The truth is that happiness is found in love and in giving that love to others. This is the type of love only Christ can provide. It is freely given and cannot be taken away from us. It is the true source of happiness. This truth is the only explanation I have for my experience of the poor being rich in spirit, and the rich being poor in spirit. As I feel consumed by our culture, I pray that I do not fall into needing the next thing, but instead remember that God is enough and to live in Christ love and give that love to others.
Patrick Harris