SOME DAYS, MANNA — A Place to dwell

For those of you that are not familiar with this particular Biblical passage, simply put, manna was God’s answer to the Israelites who were hangry, pissed at Moses for rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, and literally wishing they had died in captivity where “we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3

Manna wasn’t much by today’s standards; “it was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.” Exodus 16:32 No sun-dried tomato aioli, or a homemade spicy pickle or slice of cheese. NO BACON. Boring old manna, for FORTY YEARS.

Doesn’t sound like foodie heaven, does it? AND they had to gather only as much as they needed, every day, as it was designed to be just enough for each day. Just in case they were like me and didn’t trust that it would be there tomorrow and decided to horde it, guess what happened? Mold and maggots, that’s what.

They were forced to trust that God would rain down manna from heaven again tomorrow. And the next day, and the next.

There are some precious people in my life today that are sad. An adored and respected husband, father, grandfather and uncle who passed fairly suddenly leaving a beautiful family grieving. He lived a very long and amazing life, but we’re never ready to let go, are we? Even though his family isn’t questioning why, and they understand and celebrate that he is no longer trapped in a body that was failing, they are still longing for peace and comfort, for one more day with him, and for the passage of time when the pain won’t be so raw and tender. I long for that for them too. But in the meantime, they know today there is manna.

There are others I love that are dealing with the curse of anxiety, and if you know anyone that struggles with this you know it’s not just one person’s battle. It is crippling at times, and affects those that love them as they pray and pray for healing that hasn’t yet come. It’s a roller coaster of good and hard moments that have stretched into good and bad days and they are exhausted and desperate for answers. They too are longing for the passage of time when healing doesn’t seem so far out of reach. But today they gather their manna.

Their struggles aren’t the same, but the pain feels daunting and present just the same. Loss is loss, whether it’s a true passing of a life or merely what seems like the loss of life as we knew it, however temporary, it feels the same in the moment. And when we try and look to tomorrow, we have to trust that God will provide for us today.

Manna.

Because it’s not just about food, is it? It’s about trust. And waiting. And listening for his voice of comfort and peace and hope for the future, right smack in the middle of today’s wilderness. And what’s being built in the loss and the unanswered prayers is his redemptive work, making the way for a new and stronger us, trusting through the pain and fear and exhaustion that there will be manna for the days ahead.