Gò0dNews for Everyone
Thirty Dollars And Two Boiled Eggs
K
by Donald Cantrell
ids say the most profound things without even
The next morning, we got up and she wanted breakfast;
trying; they are a vault of wisdom and can bring
in the end, she chose to eat two boiled eggs, so my wife made
life down to the basics. A few weeks ago, it was my
her two boiled eggs. As they were gathered together in the
granddaughter Kinsley’s birthday. She turned 8 years old,
kitchen and peeling the eggs, my wife told Kinsley something
and we had a small family get-together. Then we took her to
to the effect of, “Girl, you have it made,” to which Kinsley
Pigeon Forge and got a motel with a nice inside swimming
replied, “I have 30 dollars and two boiled eggs.”
pool for one night; she was in heaven on earth. The Friday after her birthday, she received a belated
I was working on my computer as I heard those simple words: “I have 30 dollars and two boiled eggs.” I felt so much
birthday card which contained 30 dollars. My daughter told
guilt within my heart at her innocence and her contentment.
her that they would be going shopping on Saturday and
In her little world, she had more than she could ask for; she
Kinsley could buy some Barbie dolls, which is her thing at
had more money than she could fathom, and she was happy
this time. Well, that Friday night, she decided to spend the
to be eating something that would satisfy her hunger, so what
night with us, and we watched “Woody Woodpecker before
more could an 8-year-old girl need?
easing off to bed.
In my heart, I was asking myself, “Why can’t you be just as contented?” How many times do we fall into the trap of more and never allow ourselves to reach the place of childlike contentment? Most all of us have it better than we ever have, yet we never find the place of real contentment, right? We are always looking for more, for bigger, for better, and we never enjoy what we have, so we keep on robbing ourselves of true contentment. Discontentment is a thief: it robs us of today’s joy, and it places unneeded burdens on us concerning tomorrow, while if we would just stop and enjoy the moment, we might find out that things are better than we could fathom. Would that new job really make you more contented, or would it add unwanted burdens to the burdens you already have? Would that new house or car really add to your joy, or would it rob you of time with your family due to having to work more? The next time you feel as if you are becoming discontented, that you are falling into the trap of “more means better,” and you want to chase after something, just remember the little girl who said she was happy because she
28 // April 2021
About The Author
had “30 dollars and two boiled eggs!”
Donald Cantrell is a lifelong native of Murray county and has been pastoring and preaching since 1980. He has had the honor of publishing over thirty books and his sermon material is sold all over the world by various online companies. If you visit his house any weekend in the fall you will find them watching the “Florida Gators or the New England Patriots… Chomp Chomp.”
