Too Much, Too Little

My friend ALB (whom I love dearly) and I enjoy the same things—especially the arts, crafts, music, and exotic places.  We both gush and drool over art books and travel brochures in unison.  We could talk for hours about the many wonderful places and beautiful things we've seen.

“You and I have the same taste,” I tell her, “the only difference is, you have the money and I have the looks.”  She loves the joke.

Well, she definitely has the looks.  She walks around in her Hermeses, Guccis, Bulgaris, and whatever names there are in that exclusive world of luxury. 

ALB buys a two-million peso watch from Hongkong and I buy a P200 watch from Market Market.  She has a collection of paintings by the art masters; I have a collection of the same paintings in a book I bought from a second-hand shop. 

Once she excitedly showed me a brochure of Petra.  I've visited this UNESCO World Heritage Site and archaeological city many times in my mind and in the pages of books.

“Let's go, Grace!”

“I'd love to, but this poor me is short on moolah!”

“Can't you save for it?!” ALB asked, incredulous why I can't find a way to go to Petra.  

“I have to sell my house,” I said, laughing. 

Fresh from Austria, she gave me a pasalubong (coming home gift): a pair of red earrings.  They looked so similar to my favorite plastic pair, so I didn't know what to say.

ALB read my mind.  “These are real rubies! Throw away your old plastic earrings.”  

Cut to one of my other circle of friends:  

Connie (whom I love dearly) and I share the same faith.  We often exchange notes on how God has been so good in our everyday lives. She is a prayer warrior and my prayer partner, too.

Connie doesn't wear a watch or earrings.  She just has enough cash for the family's food and her child's schooling. Not having been schooled herself, the words Petra, Hermes, Gucci, Bulgari, and ruby are not parts of her dictionary. 

She owns not one art piece nor has bought a book for herself (her Bible, devotionals, and other spiritual reads are gifts from friends).

But Connie says all the time, “God's grace is always enough.”

Based on world standards, ALB and Connie are black and white. And people may ask, why does God allow one to have too much and the other, too little? 

But who's to say who's got too much and too little?

In my private talks with God, I thank Him for all my friends, rich and poor, and what they teach me about life and grace. 

Today, I have borrowed Azur's prayer in the Bible, Proverbs 30:8-9 (The Message):   

"God . . . Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little. If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs Him?' If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God." Amen.

By the way, ALB just showed me her latest buy from Louis Vuitton.  I gasped.

Connie pushed back her hair so I could see her first-ever jewelry—a plastic “ruby” earrings. I cried.