Just Enough
By Dalan Decker
Read: Matthew 17:24-27
I remember one time when a very well-to-do friend of mine threw
a party. It wasn't for me, but I was invited. With anticipation
I counted down the days. This friend has a house in one of the
most beautiful parts of Puerto Rico, up in an awesome area in
the mountains called Comerio. I was sure the place would fit the
party. Living as I do in hot, sticky San Juan, I knew the party
was going to be wonderfully extravagant.
When we arrived, I noticed first of all the amazingly cool air.
When you live in the tropics, this is unique in itself. Then the
vista! From a balcony atop the mansion, one could see about half
the island, all the way to the ocean. It was heady, wonderful,
all embracing. The clouds kept slipping up the mountainside,
draping us in fresh mist, tingling our lungs with cold air that
felt straight out of November.
Sometimes God works extravagantly. The time Jesus broke five
loaves and two fishes, there were twelve baskets of leftovers.
And then, sometimes He chooses to do just enough and no more.
Like the time when Elijah lived by the brook. The ravens brought
his food just day by day.
We know that God promises to do "exceeding abundantly above all
that we can ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20) So how come
sometimes it seems like we're just scraping by? I think it's
because God wants to glorify Himself in our lives. Any blessing
He gives is to show that He is God, that He can provide for our
needs creatively.
The tax collectors approached Peter with a question: "Doesn't
your teacher pay the double-drachma tax?" It was more of a
challenge than a question. Jesus could have responded any way He
wanted to. He could have made money rain from the sky or He
could even have ignored the demand. But He responded by doing
just enough. Peter went fishing and found a stater--a coin worth
four drachmas. Jesus provided exactly enough for Himself and for
Peter. In so doing, He proved that He was in complete control.
Jesus showed Himself omnipotent.
In Comerio, the party got started a little late. Things usually
do here. Then what surprised me about the party itself was how
simple it was. We ate hot dogs and chuletas (pork chops) and
drank Coca-Cola. Nothing fancy. But it was all tastefully
arranged and very good. And I realized that I hadn't really
wanted a big party with a lot of noise and activities. Some
lechón asado (roasted pork) and a quiet game of Scrabble was
really what I'd been aching for after all. The quiet and cool is
a memory I have treasured through many hot, hectic days in the
urban jungle of San Juan.
Looking back over my life, I see places where God has worked. At
the time, it may not have seen all that amazing. But it was just
what I needed. And isn't that what Agur said in Proverbs 30:8?
"Lord, neither give me too much or too little."
Dalan Edwin Decker is a freelance author and radio
personality in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He is the author of Shadow Trail, a novel for children, and
contributed to Encounters with God 2 (Standard, 2006). For more
about Dalan, upcoming works and appearances, be sure to visit
him at dalandecker.com
