Don't bring a backpack

Two Mondays ago, Valentina, Julia and I went to the City for a little leisure and family time. Even if it’s just for one day, travelling with a 5-year-old requires preparation! Water bottle, snacks, fruit juice, hand sanitiser, baby wipes, spare t-shirt and trousers (in case she mucks herself), disposable toilet-seat covers, sunglasses, sun cream, and whatever toy she feels can never be without. Two backpacks full of things our daughter may need, with just enough room left for two travel coffee mugs, wallets and a battery charger.

As we were walking around London sightseeing and enjoying the beautiful weather, I couldn’t help but reflect on how Julia had nothing to carry. She didn’t have to think ahead, let alone prepare for the trip. However, she expected Mum and Dad to have whatever she might need: “Mummy, I’m hungry”; “Mummy, I’m thirsty!”; “Daddy, where are my sunglasses? I’m tired, can I sit on your shoulders?”; “Mummy, I’m hungry again – can I have some yoghurt? Oh no… Mummy, some yoghurt went on my shirt!”

As I considered her breeziness and complete reliance on us, I was reminded of Jesus’ words to his followers – “Do not worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matt 6:25-34).

It should be pointed out that Jesus’ original audience was very poor – people who had genuine reasons to worry about their next meal and how to afford warmer clothes to put on their kids’ backs in winter. So, he was not belittling their need, nor telling them to simply sit on their hands and do nothing about it. However, he was telling them not to worry about such (important) things (“do not be anxious” ESV) and not allow those needs to “dominate” their thoughts. Instead, they should simply trust that their heavenly Father would provide for them – “he already knows all your needs”, so that they could simply focus on what was truly important and of eternal value, namely God’s Kingdom and his righteousness.

Once again, Jesus called his followers to learn from children, walking through life knowing that their heavenly Father was with them, providing for their every expected or unexpected need. This doesn’t mean to forfeit planning and preparation. Just last week, my wife and I were considering how we have 25-30 years to plan for our retirement – whatever that looks like and if the Lord gives us the grace to get there in the first place! Again, the issue is not planning and preparing - it’s being anxious about it. Just as my daughter’s only concern was to hold my hand and walk with me, so it should be with us grown-ups. Instead of allowing materialistic needs to dominate our thoughts and raise our anxiety levels, we should simply focus on journeying through life holding hands with our heavenly Father, knowing that, whatever we may or may not need, he’s got it somewhere in his backpack.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”