It never seems to be what we thought it would be!

This is Wednesday, October 28, 2009 and I bid you welcome to the thoughts that vortex and swirl their way around my mind drain. People are so funny, don’t you think? We usually have Chinese take out at least once a week. The other evening I stopped by and got our regular and I overheard one of the waiters asking the delivery guy to go by a Domino’s Pizza and pick him up a special deal they were currently running. The driver was eating his restaurant provided meal and must have asked him why a pizza. The waiter responded by saying one can only tolerate so much fried rice. That struck me as being not only funny but so typical of how we all operate. Have you ever wanted something so bad but after finally getting it, within a short period of time, you became tired of it? Our four-year old grandson Alex has loved bananas since he was an infant. We always tried to keep them on hand for him. I suppose they have become like too much fried rice to him now because he doesn’t even want to talk about them anymore.

I’ve told this story before but it’s worth telling again. We were all at a big Thanksgiving meal many years ago at my in-laws' parsonage. One of their Church members named Webster along with his family were there as guests. He is a really funny fellow to begin with but after eating a big plate of turkey and dressing he commented that he would love to eat more but he didn’t want to have the ‘cashew thing’ happen to him again. The ‘cashew thing’? He went on to say that he grew up fairly poor and he always longed for the day when he could have all the cashews he could eat. He even dreamed about them. He finally left home and joined the Air Force. When he received his first check he went out and bought a full pound of cashews and sat down and ate every one of them. He said he has never wanted another cashew since that day.

So often we fall for a “If I could only have……” fill in the blank pursuit in our life. That greener grass is green for a reason and it’s often because it grows on top of a septic system. But that doesn’t keep us from seeking the dream job, the dream house, the dream relationship, or the dream vacation, and it goes on and on and on. I would imagine having the company provide your meal each day was very appealing to the young waiter but after months of fried rice, pizza sure sounded like a better alternative. Jesus put it this way: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy the life God has given to us, it only works the way it should when we have Him and His ways as our first priority. This is good advice to any and all who will heed it, beginning with that most needful trinity of all…..me, myself, and I! Have a blessed day. Amen. ……More later.