What reminder do you need today?
Category: Faith
I read somewhere about how, in parts of the world where monkeys are prevalent, one way local communities have been said to catch them for food is by using the monkey’s own “stinginess” against them. Or, one could say, the monkey’s grasping nature.
The trap is securely anchored, with a small opening just large enough for a monkey to slide an empty hand in to grasp a piece of bait inside. But once the bait is clutched, the fist becomes too large to slip back through the opening. The monkey is trapped, yet all it has to do is let go of the bait it has reached for. But the monkey won’t do it. Its fear of surrendering the treasure it has reached for keeps it tethered to the trap. It struggles and pulls, growing increasingly frantic, while the thing it refuses to release becomes the very thing holding it captive. The trapper then approaches the frantic monkey and easily scoops it up.
Yes, I know, that poor monkey!
How often do we do the exact same thing? We refuse to let go, unwilling to give freely of ourselves to others, or even to nurture our own well-being. We clutch our time, energy, and resources out of a dread of losing our grip on the treasures we’ve accumulated, completely forgetting that true freedom and abundance are found only in open hands.
Luke 6:38 reminds us that true abundance is unlocked only when we open our hands to give:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)
Add your voice.
Written by Eartha Lowe
Eartha Lowe is a writer and founder of Her Roots By Nature (HRBN), a storytelling platform dedicated to capturing community-rooted narratives through reflective interviews and cultural storytelling.
Based in Ontario, Canada.
Website: herrootsbynature.ca
