So...I am of the belief that God has the single best sense of humor ever. I believe that for many reasons but here are a couple...A. I don't think we would have been given the gift of humor if He did not have the BEST sense of humor AND B. There are just those moments in life when it is just so evident that God has infused His keen wit into a situation or moment.
Take today! Today...Mom and I went to church....a church we have been visiting frequently. I wanted to go today because the worship leader...musician..is someone I really enjoy (Lizi Bailey).
The music was great and then it was time for the message. Recently I talked about Mardi Grass...Fat Tuesday...Ash Wednesday. ..etc. I spoke of how I was trimming down my Fat Tuesday....how I was incorporating the idea of preparing myself for the rest of this Journey.
So here I am...sitting in Church...loving the music...when the message begins. Now here is the truth..as this message begins I am thinking about the fact that I am hungry! I AM thinking about LUNCH...when the young minister says this: (paraphrasing here)
Today's message is going to be about a simple....every day part of our lives...that when out of control....can destroy our lives....OUR APPETITE!
Insert God's Humor here!
Those words certainly got my attention! Appetite! Really! NOW!
Yes NOW. .that seemed to be the answer!
I just had to smile! The fluffy girl on a mission to defluff...to transform my life...is sitting in church thinking about Lunch and the topic du jour is the destructive nature of the uncontrolled appetite!
That is Funny people!
So...I decide to listen up...put lunch on hold and make my best attempt to discern what it is God is throwing my way...
The minister discusses how an out of control appetite for many things...food, recognition, control, success, drugs, alcohol, sex...any number of earthly things can spiral out of control and do significant damage to our lives and leave us feeling empty.
Lots of vices.. but as you might imagine. ..He had my attention at Food!
In as concise a manner as I am capable of...here is what I got...
My APPETITE for food is very rarely about sustenance.
It more about filling some emptiness...some void in my life. It is about placating some emotion...killing some pain....or glossing over some discomfort.
As this young minister discussed the idea of "fasting" or reigning in our uncontrolled appetites...I realized that for me...this message was a reinforcement that this Journey...my Journey, is about controlling my appetite for anything that fills a place in my life artificially...disingenuously.
In my search for an authentic, God centered, healthy life...my appetite for those things that pacify...distract...or destroy my spiritual, emotional or physical health relationship must be kept in check and that I must learn to fill those gaps...those empty spots...with God's Grace and love.
Piece of Cake! Right!
Truthfully, most days that feels impossible. AND...yet here I am...taking today at face value. Clearly God must think I am ready for this message...ready to make these changes...Ready to embrace my appetite for this change...ready to step into the idea that I do not have to stuff my face or my feelings....ready to trim the fat out of my life and transform into a Leaner, Cleaner...God Seeking Believer!
Before I go...I have a little physical triumph to share...I completed a 20.7 mile bike ride yesterday...more than double the distance my previous longest ride.
Still blows my mind that I...after so many years of living in the "I Cant's" am learning to live in the "I Cans!"
Clarity of mind...of direction...of heart! Every Day...All Day! Asking...Seeking...Knocking!
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