A JOURNEY OF COMPLAINTS
Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
The exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt and their trek across the desert to the Promised Land is filled with gripes and complaints. No matter what Moses and God did for them it wasn’t good enough; they always thought of something different they wanted. And even though they would get that something different, it wasn’t long before they became dissatisfied with it and complained again. Do you know anybody like that?
The food the people brought with them from Egypt must have run out, and not being able to find a McDonald’s they began wishing they were back with the Egyptians where there was plenty of food. So God gave them quail and a sort of bread called “manna.” Later, when they complained about the shortage of water, God supplied plenty of it for them from a rock. On and on their complaints came forth. It is difficult to find them satisfied for long. Neither Moses nor God seem to have gotten much applause from the people who found it easier to complain than to show appreciation.
It can do us good, maybe, to read about this journey across the desert once in awhile. Hearing all the complaining might help us see how we sometimes appear to others. We might think the Jewish people would be elated over their gift of freedom and do all they could to use it well and wisely. Instead they seemed to have used it to complain. I guess they had gotten into the complaining habit during their 400 years in Egypt. We have the gift of freedom. Let us be grateful and use it wisely. And instead of griping and criticizing others so much, let us do what we can to make this a better place to live, while remembering to thank God and showing our appreciation to at least some of the people who do so much for us.
