Before we get started, let me share a few of my observations with you:
- Every church has one, you know, the lady that makes the best . You can fill in the blank. Our church had Ms. Barbara and she made the best Key Lime Pie on the planet.
- When I turned 35, and I assume it was or will be the same for you, my metabolism slowed down very dramatically. As such, I have to work much harder to maintain my svelte figure.
- The biggest change has been my food intake, and particularly my intake of sweets. I have (or had) a voracious appetite for sweets.
Now for the story, I know you can't wait...
A few years ago (post-35 metabolism slow-down) I came home from a hard day's work with a voracious craving for something sweet. I spotted a large box of Hot Tamales on the kitchen table and in my rush to satisfy my craving, I devoured the whole box. Now in case you were wondering, I searched this site to find the nutritional information on a jumbo box of Hot Tamales. Not there but I assume it is somewhere between 3,000 and 20,000 calories per box. That is about 3 weeks of desert/candy intake for me, all in about 5 minutes.
You may already know this, but I will say it anyway...when one consumes a large box of Hot Tamales, it creates thirst.
So I open the refrigerator door for some refreshing water and the first thing that I saw was:
Yep, Ms. Barbara's Best-On-The-Planet Key Lime Pie, uncut and waiting to be eaten. I had forgotten that she made it for me the day before and given it to me at church on Wednesday night...in my rush to satisfy the craving, I forgot the real prize.
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The Scriptures talk a lot about life, real life, abundant life and human nature. One of my favorite passages about this idea is from Jeremiah:
"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me, the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
God had rescued them, delivered them, and taught them how to live abundantly. Time and time again they settled for less...
We all make choices that are not always the best...and it's not like we intentionally go about seeking the most mediocre options for our lives, we just tend to settle for what is easy and in front of us.
The challenge for us tomorrow is to pause and ponder - and seek what is best, not settling for instant gratification or what is simply normal. Seek the best (wonder, family, friends, food, grace) life has to offer you.
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To help you ponder your own situation, here is a chart of my Hot Tamales' and Key Lime Pies'
Hot Tamales - sitting on the couch early in the morning, vegging out, watching the news and feeling sorry for myself (not a morning person). The Key Lime Pie option - going for a morning walk in the neighborhood, meeting neighbors and getting valuable exercise.
Hot Tamales - spending too much time reading the news and worrying about the things on the horizon. The Key Lime Pie option - plant and tend a garden that reminds me of the thousands of years old process of light + water + germination = tasty food.
Hot Tamales - spending too much time vegging in front of the TV. The Key Lime Pie option - reading a good book.
Hot Tamales - any activity spent that is not with my family or friends. The Key Lime Pie option - spend time with my family and friends.
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P.S. - Hot Tamales are still my favorite candy (in moderation) and the Key Lime Pie in the story above was eaten!
