Picky Eater (and more thoughts)

Well, you know those times that you work very hard to place a wonderfully balanced meal in front of your child and you have worked hard to earn the living to supply that food, put thought into the meal, worked to make it just perfect, and then they say the don’t like it or want it? They look at the meal as though it is repulsive, push it away, and ask for cereal in a box. Have you ever had one of those moments?

Well, I am certain I have given my parents many of those moments but as I was talking with the Lord He showed me that I have had many of those moments with Him as well. What? What do you mean, Lord? When have I done that to you? Oh, I get it. One of those moments. 

I’ll explain in the analogy of being a picky eater: I realized that for years He has put a dish or cup in front of me and I just look at them in wonder, aghast that I would be asked to partake of such a meal/or drink. Then ;in my mind, were thoughts of people that I truly respect some of which have wealth beyond measure and others so poor they didn’t have mice because in their home even the mice couldn’t find food (exaggerated). They didn’t serve the Lord because they were wealthy or because they were poor they didn’t serve the Lord because they were sick or well. They served the Lord because they loved the Lord and He would see them through all circumstances. It was not the circumstance that dictated their love for G_d it was their love for G_d that dictated how they viewed the circumstance in which they found themselves. It was also not their true desire to drink the contents of the cup placed before them merely because they absolutely loved the beverage inside of the cup. They drank the cup because they trusted the hand that provided that cup.

I was saying ok, I get it. I did not realize I have been pushing plates away from the table. If you see fit to create something for me or if you allow something to come into my life even if it does not seem positive I will take that cup with a glad heart (joy in suffering does not always mean laughing, merry, glee, I see it as peace in the midst of storm). I will never push away the cup you ask me to drink again and I am sorry that I have done that so many times. It was so wonderful to realize that He is so patient that He would keep trying until I got it.

To be truthful, He did serve it again. Then, I was honored to accept what was put before me instead of being a picky eater. He gives me lots of gourmet meals but He still gives me things He thinks will grow me, bless others, or give Him glory and now I see it for what it is. I never want Him to stop giving me what He thinks I need. It was a wonderful lesson and I am so thankful He took the time.

That may be one of those things that made a lot of sense to me because it was so personal and make no sense to you but I thought I would share.

Blessings to you,

FFF

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Inspired by a friend with cancer

I have had several friends die of cancer and I now know several people that have lived through cancer and it seems that each person I have known with this terrible disease have had such a great struggle, story, and have each been an inspiration to me.

I was reading a letter from someone that was struggling through cancer at the time the letter was written and as they cried out to the Lord to know why, to ask such intimate questions of the Lord it was a precious journey they shared with me and others to allow us to read these thoughts and see the answers fulfilled.

The greatest thing that I picked up was about hope. Hope is not just wishing and I don’t think I had ever understood that before. As I listened to this person speaking to the Lord about hope as a wish and then realizing that hope is not just wishing things better, wishing to be well, wishing the bills would get paid, but the epiphany that He is Hope. He is our Hope, our strength, our courage, our strong-tower for those that believe in Him. To grasp that means that hope is more than an illusion and even more than that, hope is a tangible. The Lord is amazing. We can find hope in Him.

So, walking through a day full of trials and frustrations He showed me that it is not about attaining the perfection, not about the day going smooth, not about living to see tomorrow, not about being rich or poor. He showed me that it is in living and trusting Him to be that strength and Him alone. Not to depend on my own strength because it is flawed but regardless of how rough the day goes to know that He and His love will see me through. When I die I can die in peace and while I live I can live in peace. It was nice to be shown that it was not about attaining the perfection but like Paul said just in running the race.

I don’t know if that makes any sense to you but I wanted to share the thought. It was wonderful to have a really bad day and to have no idea how some of the things are going to work out in the end. However, to just know 100% that it will be ok, not always perfect but it really will be ok.

 Blessings to you!

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