Made for Us, What Will We Do with it?

I love music and I love to sing. But I can’t read music and music theory is a mystery to me. It always amazes me to be asked to sub for elementary music. I must be last on that list and I figure that I am only asked out of desperation. So I say, “Yes.”

Last week I was asked to teach, you guessed it, elementary music for a day. The classes were studying American folk music and so I taught Woody Guthrie’s’ This Land Is Your Land for 7 hours to kindergarten through 4^th grade students. Needless to say I’m very familiar with that song now.

Though it has no spiritual emphasis it made me think deep thoughts. Another amazing result of spending 7 hours with something. “This land was made for you and me.” I counted and I sang that line 40 times or more.

 

It was no leap to realize Who made this land for me. God was sovereignly in charge of putting our country together and putting me here at this time in the earth’s creation history.

My first thought was: I’m thankful to God for giving me my Christians parents and situating me in a happy home in the good old U.S.A.

My second thought was: I’m fortunate because the American Dream is still possible to attain.

My third thought was: I’m glad I was born here with all the blessings that God has lavished on me.

Then the fourth through more thoughts came rushing so fast that they just blurred together in a great big conviction.

                I’m thankful I was born here at this time .I’m thankful for my country faults and all. It’s still a pretty good deal. I’m thankful that I can afford wants as well as needs. When was the last time I thanked God for all these things? Why have I taken these blessings for granted? Why did God put me here with all these blessings? Out of billions of people who live in all kinds of circumstances all over the world, why was I selected to have this? What is my responsibility with these treasures from God?

Luke 12:48 When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

God seems to keep bringing me back to what to do with what I have. What I spend on my mani/pedi in one month will give a family in another country clean water for their lifetime. That makes my nails seem so very unimportant. And this is just one of my many extravagances.  I think God wants me to enjoy when He blesses me. I also think I need to share these blessings too.

This land (and all of its blessings) was made for you and me.

Now what will we do with it?