Enriched

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthians 9:11

That humble bag of enriched flour on your grocer’s shelf may have a surprising story to tell you! The process is interesting, and it doesn’t make complete sense immediately. Raw wheat flour is heated and bleached to sterilize. Sadly, in that process, it loses many of its important nutrients. So it is processed yet again, returning the original nutrients and adding a few more to bump up its food value. The reasons it is treated exactly that way are somewhat convoluted. Nonetheless, it sits on the shelf stamped “Enriched.” 

Do you see your life labeled as “enriched,” full of life-giving nutrients? Over the last challenging year, you may have felt some heat and your trusted means may seem diminished. Just remember the processes God uses may only make sense from an eternal perspective. You can trust God to place in your life the exact resources He would like to flow out of it. For example, if you have more time this year than last, you may be asked to participate in a volunteer endeavor. If you have more stockpiled food than normal, He may be leading you to donate to a food bank. And if you have more spiritual understanding than you did last year, He will lead you to offer words of hope and encouragement to those who may be struggling. 

God has enriched your life today with the very ingredients needed to bring health and thanksgiving in your circle of influence. Do not be content to sit on the shelf like that bag of flour! Pray for America to be a wise and generous nation, known for sharing God’s blessings.