More Pasta Please

It seems God presence is on me in this season. For I find him even at the restaurant. This Sunday I had the pleasure of having lunch with my wife at the Olive Garden. I have just recently broken a twenty one day fast and in the process my stomach has shrunk I can consume less than I did before. This to my advantage as I wish to keep the weight I lost off. Any how, since I eat less than I did before and because the Olive Garden is not the most economical place to have lunch, my wife and I decided to share a meal. Since we were only purchasing one meal we went all out. In addition to the bread they bring out we ordered an appetizer and a salad and pasta. It was a good ole fashioned three course Italian meal.

Well of course it was Sunday and the lines where long. So I was hungry when I left church at noon, I was famished by the time two o’clock rolled around and we were finally getting a table. As soon as we sat down we ordered our food. Within minutes they had brought out a huge bowl of salad and our appetizer. I attacked the food. I began to devour the breadsticks, inhale the salad, and demolished the appetizer. After about ten to fifteen minutes had passed and my feeding frenzy had subsided the pasta finally arrived. The pasta was my wife’s choice and it was delicious. While I can not properly spell the name, the dish had the most amazing chicken, shrimp and beacon. It went down smoothly with a creamy cheesy sauce. MMMM! However to my dismay after just a few bites I was full. I could barely eat another bite. The most delicious part of the meal and I couldn’t eat it, I had wasted my appetite on appetizers, bread and salad. The cheap stuff, the stuff that almost tastes the same at home. I was devastated. I complained to my wife, she laughed and happily consumed her portion and mine. “You should have waited” she said with a smile and a laugh as she took another forkful of pasta and I looked at her enviously. As I watched my wife I laughed and realized I should have waited. It occurred to me that my lunch and life where much the same. We have such a hunger for life too often we waste our time, energy and effort on the cheap stuff, the stuff that doesn’t matter and when its time for the good stuff its to late, we have already spent what we have and others enjoy our portion. These last few weeks our pastor has encouraged us to a life of discipline. I want to encourage you to the same. It is true that in a disciplined life there is much sacrifice, however what is sacrificed is the appetizer, the salad and the breadsticks. You may not always be full however when the time is right there will be plenty of room for the Pasta. Don’t be like me be like my wife, wait for the pasta. Live the adventure.

While You Were Sleeping

I love my son. Its amazing the things that parents do for their children. Raising a child is true hard work, it is rewarding but none the less hard. Its only my been my first month so I am sure the true challenges lie ahead, however these past few weeks have not been with out their difficulty. My son is such a whiner ( he takes after dad). No matter how tired that boy is he refuses to fall asleep until he is in the exact position and location that he wants to be. My wife and I are quickly discovering that the position he prefers is in my arms or hers, if he wakes in the middle of the night and discovers that he is not in his parent's arms he will scream until he finds himself there. So in the wee hours of this morning I found my self walking around the house rocking my son back to sleep. I seemed to walk around for about 30 minutes before he dozed off, I rocked him a few minutes longer just to make sure he went into a deep sleep and would not be easily aroused. In this time of additional rocking I had revelation. When Elishah awakes he would have no idea how much work went into keeping him asleep. As he slumbered he had no idea his dad was still awake, walking him around. Furthermore for many years Elishah will comprehend the efforts that go into raising him. In fact most psychologist tell us that children have no idea that world does not revolve around them until they are about 8 it takes a few years for them to fully realize it. Even as a teenager Elishah will not fully appreciate his mom's and I's efforts. I did not realize my parent's hard work until my twenties and think that I may only be truly comprehending it now as I take on those responsibilities myself.

So what is the point? The point is that God loves us like we love our children, we are his sons and daughters. If he loves me like I love Elishah then much insight can be taken from the fact that Gods relationship with me is similar to my relationship with my son. This being the case if while Elishah is un-aware, while he is sleeping I am still awake laboring to ensure his comfort, safety and well-being than while I remain unaware God is still laboring ensuring my comfort, safety and well being. It fills me with awe and gratitude. What happens behind my back to ensure my destiny, what things are taking place to ensure that I complete the adventure? I do not know the answer and assume that this side of heaven there is much I will not know, however I find comfort and security in knowing that though I am unaware God is laboring for me. Thank you God! Live the Adventure.

Half Empty or Half Full

Is the glass half empty or half full. The answer is based on your perception, how do you view the glass as half empty or half full. Luke 11:33 states the eyes are the lamps of the soul, if the eyes are good then the whole body is full of light like wise if the eyes are bad then the body is full of darkness." If you eyes perceive the world as being dark then your world is dark if your eyes perceive the world as light then your world is light. If your glass is half empty you are constantly focused on what lacks in life, if your glass is half full your focus is always on what you have in abundance.

Let me share with you briefly. This last year has been the most miserable in my whole life. I have never felt so low and so hopeless nor have I ever felt it for such long periods of time. Why? Situationaly life has not been good, there are many things that did not go right, however situationaly I have been through worse. I can give you several examples of years where my circumstances have been far worse. In case you didn't know I have been to war, real war, with fighting and bullets and bombs. Their were nights without sleep, weeks without showers, days were food was short, I was separated from those I loved and devoid of any creature comforts. Can you imagine how disgusting it feels to spend your day in temperatures averaging 130 degrees Fahrenheit only to go to bed with out a shower on a warm cot, to make matters worse your night would be plagued with tiny insects making a buffet of your flesh. I am not kidding these are what many of my days were like yet in all this situational lack I remember having high spirits and good times. As far as circumstances are concerned last year did not even come close yet I was miserable. How is this possible? Some where along my adventure my eyes went bad, I stopped seeing how full my world was and started seeing it as "half empty".

I tell my youth every time we meet the "Christ came that they may have life and have to the full" I say life is an adventure. True life to the full can only come with good eyes. We must constantly check how we are viewing life, are we seeing it as half empty or half full. Live the adventure.