Enough for Today: What Manna Teaches Us About Goodness

Imagine Waking Up in the Wilderness

I want you to imagine waking up very early. The ground is cool. The air is quiet. Everyone is hungry.

Did I tell you? You are in a tent.

You walk outside and the ground looks different today. There are tiny white flakes like frost covering the earth. People are kneeling, picking them up. They're licking them — you can eat this!

Someone says, "Take what you need."

You scoop some into your bowl. Not too much. Your hands are small, after all.

The Big Boy's Mistake

Nearby, one of the big boys runs fast, gathering more than anyone else. He is proud and strong and quick. He brags about how much extra he collected.

At lunchtime, the food you gathered is good. But by nighttime, the extra food that the big boy collected — it smells bad. There are worms in it. Gross. No one wants to eat that. Not even the big boys.

Enough for Today

That night, an elder says:

This is how we live now — enough for today, and rest tomorrow.

You don't know the word economy, but you learn something important.

• Being fast doesn't make you good.
• Being strong doesn't necessarily make you good.

Goodness looks like everyone getting enough food — and everyone resting.