Temptation and the 5-Second Rule

I love peanut m&ms. I mean, I love them so much that I could consume an entire XXL bag if I just let myself go. And yesterday, I probably would have been tempted to do so; but, the good Lord gave me a way out through my innate clumsiness.

My daughter is an elementary school teacher. And at the end of the year she often receives gifts of appreciation from her students/parents. One student gave her a XXL bag of peanut m&ms, which she so thoughtfully offered to me. Wisdom and experience told me to say, “No, thank you. I am trying to lose a few pounds”. But the foolish me said, “yummy!”, thinking I would only eat a few at a time, over several days. And as soon as I ripped open that bag, the pea-nutty, chocolaty smell began to melt my resolve. One handful. Oh, maybe one more. Well, I was going upstairs to work out; so, maybe a few more for energy....

As I grabbed another handful and turned away, I accidentally tipped the top of the bag and a rainbow of m&ms began to pour from table to floor. My first thought:  Five-second rule! (Don’t tell me you have not been tempted to use this rule before: Drop it—and if it is on the floor for less than five seconds—it’s all good!)  

“Oh, there’s a piece that doesn’t have floor on it!”

I scrambled to pick up a few; but, quickly realized that even the five-second rule wouldn’t help me salvage these babies. I had not vacuumed the floors in several days; so, mixed in with the candy were tufts of hair from our three large mixed-breed dogs, Asher, Toby, and Tori. 

Temptation urged me to sweep them all up and blow off the hair. But I stopped. I thought about the Apostle Paul’s own admission:

I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate (Romans 7:15, NLT). 

How many times have I done things that I knew I should not, some much worse than gorging on m&ms, and then wallowed in guilt and shame for having given into temptation? As silly as it sounds, God provided a teaching moment here:  I can choose to do right. He always provides a way out if I keep close enough in relationship to Him to recognize it. 

I swept up the m&ms—and dumped them straight into the garbage. And I felt victorious. And instead of thinking, “Dang it, why I am so clumsy?”, I thanked God for allowing me the klutzy moment that helped me recognize and overcome my temptation.

So, my big victory is in not eating m&ms? Actually, it’s just a sign of continued victory in Jesus. A few years ago, before I really began to walk closely with God, I would have rinsed off the m&ms, ate them, and then, filled with guilt, would have spent about 30 minutes hunched over a toilet trying to throw them back up.  You see, I struggled with bulimia nervosa. 

The real struggle however, was not so much with a desire for food, as it was the need to fill a void in my life. For years I filled that void with the comfort of food (and other things—but that is another story, for  another day and another blog)—until I found that the Holy Spirit satisfied me more than anything on earth ever could. 

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT).

The devil may know our weaknesses, those things that tempt us to lead us down wrong paths, mess with our minds and bodies; but, so does God. Satan is cunning. He can tempt us; but, he is not omniscient. He is not God. I have learned that the closer I walk with God, become familiar with His ways and His words, I see the way out clearer than before. And faster than “five seconds”.

Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 peter 5:8, WEB)

It's Not You - It's Me. Really.

As a Seinfeld fan, I simultaneously laugh and cringe at the comments made by the character, George Costanza.  Who really thinks like George, let alone, shares those kind of thoughts—using their out loud voice?

Me. And I bet you, too. It’s not you, it’s me—what a great line. I can lay claim to what I really think is wrong with a situation or  another person—not me. But “it” often IS about you (me).

Thought for the week: Be conscious of what you believe to be true. Life is not about me or you. We are in this world together, but [for the most part] I can only control what I do, say, think, or feel. My feelings of happiness, perceptions of success or failure, and levels of self-esteem are within my control. I choose how to feel, react or not react, to any given situation or person. So, if I feel unhappy at work, with my family or friends, my weight, my finances—whatever the situation—how I feel REALLY has nothing to do with you—it’s me.

I hate to admit it; but, George’s circular reasoning actually makes sense.

10 May 2015

Wisdom in the Wrinkles

I remember my gramma had—gramma skin. You know the kind, when you pull on the elbow skin it stays suspended in the air and then sloowwwly sinks back into crepe-papery place. I remember, as young girl, lying down to take a nap with my gramma, stroking her face, pulling on her elbow skin. I asked her if my skin would be like that one day. She laughed her soft little laugh and told me it would be a long time before that happened.

Time flies, doesn’t it? Here I am, fifty years old, probably not too much younger than gramma was at that time, and I find that there are places other than my elbows that are not as springy as they used to be!  For years, I tied my sense of self-esteem, self-worth, and self-love to the vibrant beauty of youth. Perhaps I chose to believe that the pull of time would not catch up with me.  But it has. My bones complain and muscles whine when I tax them with the tasks that once came so easily. Restaurants with ambient lighting are out of the question if I have forgotten my reading glasses.  And it is probably time to admit that these I’ve aged out of the mini-skirt (unless it is a golf skirt!).

Pictures hold a thousand words and thoughts.  I look at this last “generational” photo of me, my daughter, mother, and grandmother. You can look at the four of us and quickly pick out the most beautiful—my daughter! But who has the most beautiful heart? Whose soul has the most peace? Whose heart is closer to God’s? Who’s soul sings with more peace? The older I get, the more sure I become that the loss of elasticity of skin is replaced by a tightening bond with God, the most beautiful thing one can have. 

Where does that leave me? A few short years ago, I would have said that I would fight to keep the sexy on, to use face and form to feel worthy of a place in this world. Because I did not know I had anything else to offer. 

Gramma put Vaseline on her face every night. Mom was on a first name basis with the lady at Merle Norman Cosmetics. And I continue to sample everything in my monthly Birchbox.  However, the grace of God and the wisdom He grants me have now become my makeup, my perfume, and my confidence. I am clothed in righteousness. I am more than beautiful in my Father’s eyes. Psalm 92:12-15, (ESV) promises that I have all that I need:

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

Woodstock and Wisdom

3 May 2015 - The April showers brought the May flowers, sunshine, spring clothes, gaggles of people at the home improvement and garden stores....What else? BABY BIRDS! Little Snoopy friends! 

I have been stalking a nest of Killdeer eggs for several weeks and am excited to say that 3 of the 4 little guys pecked their way out into the world this weekend! I spent a good portion of today (I have the redneck sunburn to prove it) following them around the yard, watching mom and dad trying to keep their curious and clumsy crowd safe and accounted for.

How do you break out of your shell?

A brother is born for adversity! Stick by those who are a little slow....

As I watched nature at work, I could not help but be reminded that God has given all of His creation exactly what they need: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God” (Psalm 84:3, NIV). “If a bird sees a trap being set, if knows to stay away” (Proverbs 1:17, NLT).

God’s creatures set about their daily routines without a worry or thought about what will happen tomorrow because God has blessed with the instinct and knowledge they need. No worries about being too fat, too old; a need to be prettier, smarter, the richest—nature does not seek to be any more than God created it to be.  

And God created you and me. He designed us, His beloved children,in His own image. He gave us something more than He did the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, or the beasts in the fields and forest. We are designed to be in relationship with Him and with one another. We can go to God and ask—in faith—and believe that we will receive His best for our lives. That makes us even more amazing than anything you will see on a National Geographic special. 

Yet, while we have instincts, intelligence,gifts, and talents that will help us to survive—and do more than just thrive in this world—we do not all have wisdom.  Rather, we do not always ask for or seek wisdom, relying instead, on our own understanding.  We sometimes think we know how to do it all on our own, are smarter than our parents or teachers, or care only for our own immediate gratification. Question: How is that working for you? How many of you have, like me, have said, with a mouthful of regret, “If only I had....?”

... Used the wisdom that God made available to me: In His written Word. Through the guidance of my parents and grandparents. Through the testimony of prodigal sons and daughters... I can listen to my gut, listen to my heart, listen to my head; but, if I am not listening to God, asking for His wisdom, I am a fool. 

“But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm” (Proverbs 1:33, NLT).