12 Jun Buyers are not Beggars

“Rain, rain, go away!” I sang, trying to cheer my cabin fever frustrated sons.

Several days of continuous downpour had us all antsy for sunshine.

We decided to “set up shop,” using a large tumbling mat to construct the back and side walls of our new building. Next, we scooted the piano bench in front of our u-shaped structure to create a two-way countertop, then I tossed a blanket across the top for a roof. Lastly, we dragged two wooden kiddie chairs from the kitchen and put one on each side of our make-believe counter.

Presto.

We pulled out the toy bin filled with plastic food, pots and pans, a plastic cash register, and pretend money. Now we were set for our grand opening!

We buy, sell, cook, pour, eat, and drink together in this little world we built.

Come and Buy

A few days later, I sit quietly in a comfy chair with this scripture passage:

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and [s]he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.” (Is. 55:1-3)

You know when a word or phrase just jumps off the page at you? Or “shimmers,” as a friend beautifully puts it.

The word “buy” immediately shimmered for me, but I didn’t know why and I didn’t want it to shimmer. All my negative associations with the word instantly curtailed curiosity. Buying is always in danger of becoming more, isn’t it? Materialism, vanity, pride, greed.

I kept reading, but couldn’t escape the shimmer. I had to go back and allow myself space to get curious. Suddenly a question popped up:

“Wait, why does it say buy?” I thought. “The passage is clearly for ‘those who have no money’ so isn’t it weird that it says ‘buy‘ right after noting the buyer has no money? Why doesn’t it simply say, ‘Come take,’ or, ‘Come receive’?

You know how you can feel someone smiling at you across a room, even when you’re not looking in that direction? I felt God’s smile and knew we were trekking somewhere He wanted to go together.

So I started pondering more questions:

“What’s different when I buy something than when I receive something?”

The word posture popped into my awareness.

“Hm. That’s interesting. Posture. Oh, right. Totally.

When I’m buying something,

I’m ready and prepared to make the purchase;

I’m engaged in the process, not a passive bystander;

I am free to approach the seller, and

I’m excited about the transaction because I’m purchasing something I want or need.”

What else?

“I don’t feel shame or inadequacy when I buy. I take a swing at poverty when I buy. I don’t worry about hidden expectations or secret strings attached, because the terms of exchange are defined and clearly understood. I know what to expect when I buy.”

Wow. Is that the invitation?

Come with nothing, and buy the gift?

Come without begging, only buying?

Come without shame and free from fear and engage Him — all so we can cook, pour, eat, and drink together?

Is this what it means to come boldly before the throne of grace?

Somewhere deep within, a tucked away and at-wits-end part of me, laid bare under the weighty awareness of no more resources, that part shifted its posture and became a braver buyer at the two-way counter of God’s goodness.

Is part of you bowed low beneath a perpetual sense of poverty?

Well, smiling straight into all the brokenness of just being, Jesus says come boldly and buy.

It’s a rainy day, and your good, good Father set up shop just for you.