Ed, my neighbor next door, has finally begun to combine. Ed says he would be done by now if it wasn't for such a wet year. It is the time of the year I occasionally run a lunch or supper out to Ed at his farm. Ruby, Ed's wife, needs a break from delivering food to the farm for Ed. It is an okay experience for me, as Ed is too hungry to be disagreeable.
Last night I mentioned to Ed, as he consumed his food in about three gulps, that I had made an investment and it seemed like I had thrown my money down the drain. Of course, Ed said that I'd be used to it if I were a farmer. I told Ed life is an adventure, a bittersweet, waiting game. We never know exactly when God will give our efforts success. I admitted I was disappointed and impatient because I was sure my investment was a sound one. It is humbling to know once again God is not obligated to back my schemes for success.
"So now are you just going to kiss your invested money goodbye?" Ed asked.
"I'm not ready to give up yet! It says in scripture, 'Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.' I'm going to hang on for the long term," I answered.
"Bread on water is a stupid investment," scoffed Ed. "Unless you are feeding ducks, bread will just get soggy and sink. No wonder your investment is a dud," offered Ed.
"It is referring to the ancient practice of investing in seaborne trade. People put up money for a ship and its cargo to travel far away and trade. It was a long-term and somewhat risky venture. The ship you invested in might not return, as it was common for ships to be wrecked in storms. Not all trading attempts resulted in a profit. Ships sometimes did not return for months or years. Yet such investments often paid off richly for those who dared to invest and waited for their ship to come in. In life, often what seems like money down the drain in an investment can reappear as money in our bank account after a long period of time. That is how I explained it to Ed.
"So, if your investment does eventually bring you success, say a great profit, I suppose you'll give it to the church?" questioned Ed sarcastically.
I answered Ed this way. The scripture says that a person should be generous with his great profit. He should remember that unforeseen disasters may make him dependent on the generosity of others in the future. Success is never long term, neither is a great profit. Neither success nor a great profit mean anything in the grave.
The Bible encourages us to just keep waiting and working. We sow our seed in the morning and keep our hands busy with other work, for we don't know how much we will reap from our seeds. We do not know what various things we have invested in will bring us success, because the success we enjoy is the work of God. We don't control it, He does.
