“I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:18-20)

I’ve lived in plenty, and I’ve lived with what I felt was less than plenty. I’m not sure I’ve been fully content in either situation. The latter, however, has taught me gratitude.

When we first emigrated from Venezuela, a country in deep economic crisis for the last decade, I almost shed happy tears when I perused the dairy section of my local grocery store here in Canada. I had not seen that kind of abundance since living in the US years earlier.

When we think well-supplied, we tend to have a specific idea of what that looks like. The image of a typical supermarket in the US comes to mind with long and wide aisles showing wall-sized stacks of whatever products are needed to feed and keep a household in North American culture. Even the smaller, urban version here in Montreal offers a plethora of choices. I think of the wide range of milk options, ranging from cow’s milk with various percentages of fat, lactose-free, coconut, soy, almond, or cashew milk.