"borrowing"

I'm a borrower. I love to borrow things from my parents house that seem like they could have been forgotten, unused, or never missed. Probably the correct term is "stealer" but that just sounds so harsh, so I will continue to refer to it as borrowing. Technically, if anyone ever asked for that item back...I would of course return it to it's proper owner.

"Oh, sorry didn't realize this was yours." Smile. Play dumb and give it back.

Key word their is play. I'm always aware that if it's not mine....that means it's probably someone else's. This is where I have a HUGE character flaw: I just don't care. I'll take it anyway.
Recently with moving I've borrowed several things. Lamps that don't appear to be in use, anything in my brothers room who is away in college was fair game. College kids are never home...and they never use their stuff. I know this because several times upon my return from Athens I noticed several things had been "borrowed" from my room, including an old pair of jeans. (note: remember I have 3 brothers. interesting? indeed. but that's a story for a different day) Anyway, I've found this borrowing works great. Why buy something new when you can see if there's already one at your parent's house. In all seriousness I do take things that people aren't using. My parents don't come home to find that I've taken their sheets or anything. I'd never get away with anything that obvious.

The main thing I will "borrow" is food. Little something here...little something there...and no one ever notices. Sometimes I will take the one thing that my mother has bought for a specific purpose...then all hell breaks loose. She has discovered my habit of lifting food items and therefore instead of stopping me, she just mentions what things I'm not allowed to take. "Cameron, I bought 5 tubs of strawberries for Bible Study...DON'T EAT THEM."
The last two times I went home I did borrow food (as always) but looking back I question my selection.
Yesterday I stole a can of beans. Beans? Really? I actually laughed to myself because I didn't know whether that was gross or just sad.
Today I had snuck a grape fruit out of the fridge to take home. Knew mom had just bought those...so figured I had to be super sneaky.However, left it out and she noticed. Thought she was going to put it away but instead she picked up and said:

"You taking this with you right?" smiled and handed it to me.
I grinned awkwardly. She knows me so well.

Just East

On Sunday we were discussing inheritance and specifically looking at the inheritance of the 12 Tribes of Israel in the Promised Land. The beautiful thing about inheritances is that you don’t have to “work” for them. They are freely given. Israel did not work for the Promised Land….the Isrealites won their battles because the Lord was on their side. It was not by their strength, but by the Lord’s. One of the most interesting parts of the whole story was the land that the Tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh personally requested. Those three tribes had entered the Promised Land earlier and noticed the land East of the Jordan River (not technically in the Promised Land) was very beautiful and fertile. They asked Moses’ permission for that land to be their inheritance when the time came, even though it was not what the Lord had originally promised to them. Moses consented and those three tribes established their families there believing they had received a better inheritance. However, the land they settled was not well protected and was very vulnerable to outsiders. Throughout the rest of the Old Testament we see that those three tribes were always the first to be taken into captivity or attacked.

So often we settle for what we think is best, or what looks good at the time instead of what the Lord has set aside for us. Was the land east of the Jordan fertile? Yes. Was it beautiful? Yes. But, was it the Lord’s best? No. Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh had instead decided that the other land would be better than what the Lord had to offer. Sadly, their descendants suffered the most due to their settlement.

In life my biggest fear is that I’ll settle. Settle for a decent job…settle for husband….settle for what I consider is my “life’s purpose”. Nothing scares me more than the thought of one day hearing Jesus say: “You lived a good life, but you could’ve lived so much more. There was so much more that I had for you if you had only trusted and followed my leading instead of what you thought seemed good at the time.”

God has what is best for us. Sunday made me wonder if I really am trusting and willing to follow the Lord, believing His way is best; or if in some areas of my life, I’m still setting up a tent just East of the Jordan river