The past few months have been filled with unexpected, everyday “emergencies”: a very sick dog, a bunny with a broken tooth, new brakes for the car (front and back), a minor concussion for one kid and major dental work for another. I have nothing to show for my summer: no exotic cruise, no bathroom remodel, just the stuff of life. Just when I think I am getting ahead, something happens to derail my plans. Overwhelm and disappointment sets in, and I turn to grumbling and complaining. What keeps me anchored in hope, rather than giving in to despair and fear?
“With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!’” –Numbers 21:4-5
At a recent celebration of Children’s Liturgy of the Word, we discussed how the Israelites “whined and complained” as they wandered in the desert. The journey was long, tiresome and difficult. And apparently the food was terrible. We asked the children “do you ever whine and complain?” They were quick to point fingers at their siblings and classmates, listing the MANY faults and annoying traits of the people around them. The adults chuckled and tried to encourage their reflections back to their OWN opportunities to trust and be gracious in adverse situations. Listening to the children is like looking in a mirror. We see reflected back to us what we adults have been putting out into the world. Maybe I too am spending a lot of energy complaining about bad food and unfair situations, and missing the true message that God is trying to communicate to me.
The Book of Numbers is a chronicle of the 40 years spent wandering in the desert, a narrative of rebellion and griping but also of God’s unending faithfulness to God’s people. Over and over again, humans have struggled to maintain trust in God, and often the grumbling and complaining comes when we become impatient with or confused by God’s timing. The Old Testament, as well as the human history that has followed, has demonstrated the fulfillment of this covenantal promise. God’s chosen people have experienced unfathomable hardship and discrimination. As I wrote this article, the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were being commemorated. This pair of holidays usher in the New Year on the Hebrew calendar while also bringing closure to the previous year. On Yom Kippur, individuals fast completely from food and drink, abstain from work and any other unnecessary activity, and focus on seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with God and the community. In our area, the public schools take off these days in order to allow families to fast and attend synagogue. The somewhat stressful juggling of childcare and logistics on these days is a minor inconvenience. These interruptions to my regular week serve as invitations to remember God’s unchanging commitment to His people. What do I really have to complain about?
On one of these no-school days, my mom (the regular babysitter) was sick, and my kindergartener was sitting with me as I edited videos for work. Dozens of Catholic sisters were sharing messages of hope for young people. The next day, my son asked, “can I watch the video again of the sisters telling me how much God loves me?” He captured the essence of what anchors us in hope: the recognition of God’s unconditional love.
In Romans 9:8, St. Paul reiterates, “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants”. Complaining comes from discomfort and a sense of being powerless to change the outcomes. The fear of aimless wandering is real. Hope does not come from analyzing the odds, rationalizing that things will get better.
Hope comes from the deep knowing that God has never abandoned me, and never will. The promise that God made to the Israelites in the desert, God makes again to me today. No amount of grumbling about the bad food, poor accommodations, and relentless fatigue changes that.
Going Deeper
Spend time reflection on God’s Steadfast Love as you consider this love as an anchor of hope in your life.
Listen to Messages of Hope from Sisters
A previous post on Sustaining Hope after Hurricane Katrina on Into the Deep
Read more about Anchors of Hope on the Into the Deep blog.
Jen Coito: Ignatius at Home 