Feed Me!

I have always been a quick eater.

Hmmm, let me rephrase that…

I’ve somehow attained the reputation of being a human vacuum cleaner. Maybe it’s because I eat EVERYTHING off my plate. Or because it appears that I’m literally inhaling my food.

Literally.

I don’t think my vacuum cleaner nickname comes from the noises I make (I usually operate on whisper-mode; I don’t believe in letting my food know what’s coming). Then again, maybe it’s the telltale clouds of dust. Anyways, when I get a plate of food in front of me, keep your distance. If you get too close, you might get bitten. You see, when you come from a large family, you either eat fast or you starve. It’s like being on the Serengeti.

Which leads me to my point. I remember a few years back about a trip to Massanutten Ski Resort I took with Kathy and some friends. We stopped at a Burger King for lunch and I dug in to eat at my usual rapid pace.

However, at some point I must have taken a breather, because an “unfortunate incident” occurred.

You see, for years I have been a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to BK. I have eaten there countless of times and I meticulously follow a certain schedule: Wait in line. Order food. Fill up Pepsi. Wait for food. Get food. Get napkins, salt and ketchup. Sit down. Pour salt on fries. DEVOUR everything that sits on the paper placemat. Stand up. Toss paper placemat and various paper goods into wastebasket.

I’m a creature of habit, but I broke my own regimen and stopped eating for a minute or two to talk to my friends.

In their defense, the Burger King employee wasn't aware that they were breaching protocol.

Thinking I had finished, they tried to take my tray away.

I still had some fries on the tray.

I’m sure this employee was a nice person.

Maybe, just maybe, I over-reacted.

To be honest with you, I don’t remember much of anything that happened next.

My wife (who was present at the time and to this day is still mortified about the incident) likes to say that she witnessed something akin to someone pulling a dish of food away from a hungry dog.

The employee didn’t lose any appendages, but then again, I don’t think they ever tried to pull a stunt like that again.

I felt bad.

Really, I did.

But I DID get to finish my fries.

Psalm 36 states that “All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.”

Our bodies will waste away without proper nourishment, but how do we nourish the soul? Is it as easy as having a daily checklist of activities (read Bible, say prayers, don’t commit murder)? Do we come up with regimens to feed ourselves spiritually and get royally annoyed when someone dares to interrupt it?

I remember praying on my bed one morning in college when I heard my mom knock on my door…

“WHAT?! I’M TRYING TO PRAY!” I yelled.

Uh, yeah.

Maybe our spiritual feeding has more to do with our relationship with God, as opposed to the regimens we prescribe to make ourselves “more holy”.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with attending church services, bible studies, reading scripture and praying. But I’d get mighty hungry if I only ate one meal a day.

Jesus stated, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

Maybe we get spiritually fed when we live moment-to-moment, following God’s gentle leading. Maybe that’s how God really grows us so we can bloom where we’re planted.

Questions to Ponder
What do we do when we’re hungry?
How do we feed ourselves physically? Mentally? Emotionally?
Is it possible for us to feed ourselves spiritually? Or must spiritual nourishment descend from above?
If we are to bloom where we’re planted, how do we take in the nourishment we desperately need in a place where the soil is weak and our circumstances difficult?

Related Verses
Deuteronomy 30:19-20“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

John 4:27-34
Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”

“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

Joe