“Eat…” (by Mel McGuire)

In talking to an engaged couple recently I realized yet another difference between me and my wife. I eat when I get hungry. She eats when it is time to eat. She pretty much schedules her meals. I eat when necessity and opportunity align themselves.

She pointed out (in her wifely wisdom) that she is normally hanging out with our daughter, a growing child who is quite active. As such, they need to eat on a regular basis for several reasons.

Our child goes like the Energizer bunny and almost has to be forced to stop (or at least slow down) and eat. Convenience then dictates that they both eat at the same time. I eat when I get hungry.

My job is unpredictable, so I am used to not eating on a regular basis. I have had too many days when I did not get to eat at all. This is a violation of the police officer unwritten rule book, which states, “We will not get wet. We will eat. We will go home on time.”

Consequently, sometimes I suffer from malnutrition or hunger, or weakness, or lightheadedness, or crankiness as a result of not having eaten in a while. While I may want to believe its not my fault…I just need to eat.

God reminded me that my spiritual weaknesses are the result of the same thing. I did not eat. He began to remind me how when I was a new Christian, I ate a lot. I ate every chance I got because I was active. I realized I was using and requiring spiritual energy on the regular, and I needed to eat to stay strong.

It seemed the more I ate, the more I needed to eat, the more I wanted to eat, and the more I enjoyed eating. Lately? Not so much. It dawned on me that I was waiting for signs of weakness, fatigue, crankiness, or hunger before I will sit down and eat.

The problem with that approach is necessity often comes separate from opportunity. Without opportunity, just knowing I need to eat does not help me, in fact it makes it worse that I can not eat knowing that I need to eat.

I lied to myself by thinking I did not control opportunity. I can schedule opportunity by eating on a regular basis, just like my wife and daughter do. I will make time throughout my day to eat, spiritually and literally.

I need to increase my spiritual metabolism and eat more often, even if smaller portions. The huge meal, which I too often don’t have time to prepare, eat and digest, is causing me to miss too many meals. I also can get too full to really be able to get right back into the fight.

My spirit is growing, like a child, it is active and needs to be fed regularly. I am getting back on schedule and convincing myself that I need to replenish while I still have strength.

Are you hungry? Make the time to eat. God loves it when we come to Him for a “Scooby snack”. Esteem His word more than your necessary food…

“Vegetables…” (by Mel McGuire)

So there I was in the grocery store, headed towards the checkout. I had dutifully collected all the “necessary’ items on my wife-supplied list, and having space in the basket and unexplored aisles, I rounded out my purchases with “things I like to eat”.

As I waited my turn in line, I began to notice the types of things I bought. Everything I had chosen, all the items I “wanted”, fell into at least one of the following categories; sweet, salty, fattening, or a combination of those three. There were no vegetables.

I got just convicted enough to notice, but apparently not enough to put anything back. Nor I did not get out of line to get any vegetables.

Vegetables are things I need to eat, but do not necessarily want to eat. Meaning given a choice between something sweet, or fattening, or in any ways tasty, and vegetables…I’m going away from the vegetables.

As a child, I remember the nightly mantra from my parents, “Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you…” I was not moved…and spent many a moment trying to hide or disguise the fact that I had not eaten my vegetables…because they did not taste good.

As a child back then and now as an adult, I prefer what is good to me over what is good for me. If it tastes good, I will eat it. I am not worried about long term effects from eating everything that is sweet, fat or salty.

If you want me to eat vegetables, make them taste sweet or salty. Whatever the vegetable, if you can cook it and serve it with butter, I’m on it. Make them sweet or salty and they are as good as gone.

Apparently I have taken my food tastes over into the realm of the spirit and have turned my nose up at the word of God… at least that is what God showed me. The word is like vegetables. It consists of the basic fundamental elements that define and sustain life.

Vegetables break down to essentially water and vitamins or nutrients. Vegetable allergies are rare, and I never heard of anyone eating too many vegetables. Sweets, salt, and fat, however, are all documented foes of good health.

The Lord showed me how I valued style (taste and flavor) over substance (message and mission) when it came to receiving His word. Whether it was through music, a sermon, or the written word, I wanted what was good to me, instead of what is good for me.

The excitement of a well preached sermon, an unearthly musical talent, or a “new” revelation, can be like a sugar rush. It gets you energized in the moment but lacks the nutrients necessary to sustain life. Giddy on Sunday, then burnt out by Tuesday. In need of another sugar fix…just give me something sweet!

Personal private prayer time, meaningful study of the word, individual devotion, self-examination and honest repentance…these are the vegetables of the Christian diet. They break down into the essential elements that sustain spiritual life.

We need our vegetables, they are good for us. When our taste buds are deprived of junk food flavors, we can learn to appreciate and desire the subtle differences in flavors between vegetables. We can change our tastes, until what is good for us, becomes what is good to us. Eat your vegetables…they really are good for you.