“a proper double chin” as only a wealthy wife could afford. He sees
her dressed in finery, bossing her servants around.
Then Tevye, becoming very quiet, tells God what would have
mattered most to him. If he had been rich, he would have had time
for prayer and discussing the holy books, time to spend with his
Maker. “And that would be the sweetest thing of all,” he says.
Pretend with me now. Suppose you won the lottery today.Sup-
pose you didn’t have to go to work or worry about money. How
would that change your life? Would you spend the money on travel?
On fine possessions? On a new home?
Let’s face it. In America few of us are hungry. All our pockets are
relatively full compared to those of many people around the world.
Instead, what we really need is more time for prayer, more time for
God’s Word, more time to spend with our Maker.
I pray that a yearning may begin to grow in your heart and in
mine for more time and a deeper relationship with the God who
longs to get our attention. Only when we yearn for him, only when
we seek him, only then will we find him. And that will be “the sweet-
est thing of all.”
Father, turn us from our materialism. Slow us down. We want to
spend more time with you. We want to know your Word more fully,
to experience your love more deeply, to travel the roads that lead us
to the heart of your heart. Draw us to you. Amen.202 CLAIRECLONINGER