Redeemer Women

by Aimee Bowles

When I was a little girl, I loved the movie “Mary Poppins”. I would happily park my tiny self in front of our television and wear out our VHS tape as often as I was allowed. I would imagine myself to be the musical, magical nanny, and “tidy up the nursery” (my bedroom) while trilling in a childish soprano how a “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”.

It was my favorite part—well, second only to the part where they jump into the chalk drawing on the street— that is, the part where the children clean their room. Mary Poppins slyly provides the magic, and her charges scamper about, snapping their fingers in glee, as their toys fly, march, and bounce back into their proper places all by themselves. It was such fun! For both the fictional children, and for me—their invisible watcher. When the nursery was clean, Mary Poppins bustles the children into coats and out for a walk. Michael, the youngest, complains aloud, “I don’t want an outing! I want to tidy up the nursery again.” To which the wise nanny replies, “Enough is as good as a feast. Come on.” And they troop into the street.

I never understood that line when I was little. It was jibberish to me, and the words felt foreign on my tongue. Over time, with increased familiarity, I just passed over the line without thinking anymore about what it might mean. Not long ago, I introduced the movie to my own children. They also watched the scene I described above with awe, joy, and a little bit of envy. (hey, who wouldn’t like to snap their fingers and have their chores done?). And when the line, “enough is as good as a feast” was delivered, they didn’t question it. But I, hearing it again, perhaps for the first time really hearing it, quirked a little smile. Then a small laugh. Man, but that lady was a smart nanny!

The struggle for contentment is one that every believer encounters throughout our walk with Christ. Be it contentment with your circumstances, your relationships, your faith, your job, your finances… The psalmist’s declaration that “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” rings convicting and true at every turn. I was instructing my son Judah the other day while driving, when he was frustrated with the slowness of the traffic, that every complaint can be turned into a handful of “thank yous.”. Yes the traffic can be annoying, but—Thank you Lord, for our car that gets us too and from places, thank you for the new baseball glove we just bought at the store, and the money we had to get it. Thank you for roads to drive on, and music to listen to in the car, and good company to ride with….

Because we are sinful creatures, we often forget how very much we have. How very much grace, how very much love, how very much mercy. God provides for his children— He has met my needs—my spiritual ones, and even my day to day seemingly trivial ones. In terms of this culture’s view of wealth, I know I may not have much… But I have enough. It may be paycheck to paycheck… But we make enough. My house is not the biggest, or the nicest (or the cleanest!) on my street…. But it is enough! And enough is as good as a feast. Thanks again, Mary Poppins.

Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”