One of our favorite things to do as a family is read aloud. Whether it was a picture book when my children were younger or a chapter book when they were older, we’ve always enjoyed reading together.
One of our favorite picture books was, A Fish Out of Water*, by Helen Palmer. I know I’ve read this book a hundred or more times either to my own children or children I have kept or taught.
I think I love this book so much because I have a very early childhood memory of the librarian at my school reading it to our class when I was in the first grade.
In this book, Otto is a fish that wants more food. In fact, according to the boy in the story, “He just has to have more!”
If this quarantine has taught us anything, I think it’s taught us that we can get by with less, not more!
The Israelite’s were a lot like Otto. When God provided manna, they wanted meat! Even after God provided meat, it still wasn’t enough to stop them from longing for the “meat pots and bread to the full” in Egypt. (Exodus 16:3)
I’m a lot like Otto too. When God provides me clothes and I peruse an online shopping platform and see the latest styles, the perfectly good clothes in my closest don’t seem to be good enough any more. When God provides me with something to eat at every meal, but I see on Instagram the grand meal my friend has prepared, somehow I’m not satisfied with meatloaf any more.
The Bible says in Deuteronomy 7, “…you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves lest you be snared by it…”
Next time we’re tempted to want “more, more more,” let’s remember, “something may happen, you never know what,” when we long for things and aren’t satisfied with what God has already blessed us with. (A Fish Out of Water, page 5)
You can watch me do a Read Aloud of the book, A Fish out of Water on my Youtube Channel.
Kathy
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