A MESSAGE FROM REV. SUZANNE TRUMP: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Greetings Friends,
I am officially back at work and doing well since my knee replacement last month. Everything is going as I had hoped, and I am looking forward to getting back to golf in the spring. Thank you for all the prayers, the check ins, and the well wishes. I felt your support and strength each step of the way. I look forward to seeing you soon.
My question for this week is, Are you a glass half full 
or glass half empty person? I strive to see the glass as half full although I admit that sometimes I get sucked into a negative mindset and see the glass half empty. For me, it depends on the issue if I reside in the half full or half empty camp. How much is enough? Is there a point at which we say that we have enough? Enough money, enough success, enough power, enough joy, enough time, enough of everything. My guess is that no matter how much we have, we always want just a little more. And so, it becomes a choice for each of us, is our glass half full or half empty?
And that choice matters when it comes to faith. Seeing our own abundance makes it easy to share with others. If we operate from a scarcity mode, we tend to limit our sharing because we are afraid that we won’t have enough. Given the current questions in Washington regarding humanitarian aid we are at a key moment to determine if we will operate out of abundance or out of scarcity. And this applies to both aid within the United States and for other nations.
As a Lutheran, I feel personally attacked by the comments made by individuals that Lutheran Social Services is a money laundering program and should not be funded. Other religious organizations have since been attacked as well. I can quote statistics that one in fifty Americans has benefited from programs that Lutheran Social Services provides but it really comes down to whether we live with a generous heart or a scarcity mindset.
As you ponder your glass as half full or half empty, I invite you to join us for worship this weekend when we will hear a story of the abundance of fish provided by Jesus. May we all prayerfully consider our response and act accordingly.
In Peace,
Suzanne