Salutations!!
Being as I have posted a recipe for an Amazingly, delicious, absolutely scrumptious desert, it got me to thinking.
On a previous post, I mentioned that a certain gift could be that you love to eat. How in the world would that be a gift? I know someone who loves to eat. Truly, irrevocably, undeniably, loves it. It’s not a life goal, or even an obsession, though at one time I mistakenly thought so. I remember thinking, Why in the world would someone be so excited about eating? We do it every day. I mean, yeah, some food is great and all, but why would you be excited about it? We do it so often, it’s more like work. It’s not meant to be an obsession.
But then I began to notice that it didn’t seem like an obsession. Then what was it?
As usual, it turned out to be that I was being short-sighted. Very short sighted. Someone once told me that sometimes we look so far off into the distance... we can’t see the pizza on the table right in front of us. Haha, very true. The problem wasn’t with them- it was with me. It’ s amazing how twisted you can perceive something if you’re looking out of the wrong eyes. If you have these ideas in your head that are slightly skewed or wrong, then you’re going to see things in a slightly skewed way that might not be entirely right, as I did. (Of course, you have to be objective, but if you’re looking out of the right eyes by valuing truth, then you’re going to see truth as it is, and you’ll know the difference between obsession and love. )
The thought came to me then, (And it still often does!): I wonder why more people don’t love to eat! I mean really love to eat.
I have discovered that there are 3 kinds of eaters: 1. Gluttons, or people who just like to eat because they’re bored, because they enjoy the physical pleasure, or just for the sake of fulfilling emptiness, in other words, absolutely obsessed with food. They’re like alcoholics- except... with food.
2. Then there are the most common eaters, like most of us- people who just eat because that’s what they do every day. It’s a given: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Food is there for them and they take it for granted. It’s almost work. I fell into this category at one time- Oh, look it’s breakfast time. Do school. Lunchtime. Can’t do it because I want to do school. We’re eating again in 4 hours anyway. Breakfast again? Skip lunch. It’s more work, and it’s wasting time I could use getting work done. Dinner. Breakfast. Snack? No Mom, I don’t want a snack- seems like all we ever DO is eat.
Yeah. That’s a dangerous attitude to have. But that used to be me.
And then there’s the 3rd kind of eater. These are rather rare in this world of pleasures and instant gratification. The other kind of eater truly loves to eat- not because they’re giving their body physical sustenance, but because they’re glad to eat. They’re thankful for it. It truly gives them happiness to relish every bite simply for the sake that they get to eat. And because they enjoy tasting the food that they’re eating. They’re happy.
Oh, I know, most of us do enjoy a good, tasteful meal now and then, but when was the last time you were thankful to eat? And I’m not talking about the cliché, “I’m-thankful-because-there-are-many-people-who-don’t-get-to-eat-at-all” thankful. (Well, that is one thing to be thankful for, but it’s not what I’m talking about). No... how about thankful because it’s FOOD? And all those flavors just swirling around in your mouth? Appreciating variety? The ability to taste? I mean it’s one thing to give your body sustenance in order to keep it going. But God didn’t just give us a digestive system- we can TASTE food? Revel in it! It is one of the most simple forms of pleasure there is.
If God went to all that trouble to give us literally millions of different kinds of food- and not just any food! Wonderful food! Glorious food! Absolutely sublime, delightfully delectable delicious food! And food for all different purposes! Food that can provide pleasure, food that is filling, nutritious food, food that can heal sickness, wounds, disease, keep you alive for months; it’s truly mind blowing to contemplate the vast, astounding variety of food and it’s purposes. (And the ENDLESS COMBINATIONS!!!!!!) Or how many other things in nature are edible (Edible and healthy, yes, though not everyone might call it food).
No, then there are the eaters who are thankful for the simple act of eating. And the act of eating isn’t really a gift. The gift is being able to find immeasurable joy in such a simple, incredibly common act that most people take for granted. Such a person would also likely find joy in other simple things. It wouldn’t take much to touch them, make them happy and thankful. Having joy in the act of eating simply for the happiness that it brings you spills over to being thankful for the small things.
In fact, we’re supposed to love eating. It’s one of the simplest things to love.
It can lead to one of the greatest gifts that we can give to God: Thankfulness.
Finding Joy in the littlest, smallest, most insignificant things. Little things that you do for people and they don’t find out that you did it. You’re happy when they’re happy. Being happy for that cloudy day because then it give you time to think, or do other things that you wouldn’t have done otherwise. Finding light where others would only see the darkness. Focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel while everyone else is overwhelmed and stumbles around blindly. If we can learn to appreciate the little things, we can be even more thankful when we receive a greater blessing. And very often, it’s because we aren’t thankful for the small things that I think we don’t receive greater blessings: We simply wouldn’t receive it like we should.
I wonder how often God finds someone who loves to eat because they’re so appreciative it brings them joy? It is such a small thing that people take for granted, and yet, here and there, there are a few that value it very highly, and for good reasons. God will see the gift for what it really is. Someone appreciates something small that He has done, when very few others do. He can bless them.
With simple thankfulness, finding joy in the smallest of tasks can bring a peace that cannot be found anywhere else.
I have come to appreciate eating far more than I ever have before, but not as much as I wish I did. Being around friends who have something in their character that you appreciate can gradually change you. It’s sure changed me! I have begun to notice and be content with less.
I have found that I notice more of the small things. And hey- the purpose of life is to grow, right? If it’s a vision, and you keep it before you, it’s only going to get better. And you’re going to get there one day. Even if all you have to do to get there is appreciate the small stuff.
And next week, we can celebrate our abounding thankfulness... by EATING!!!! It's seriously the best idea that anyone ever had.
Well, I’d better go. It’s time for Lunch.
Bring it on.
Let the Flavors BEGIN!!!!
~KnightRanger :D
*On that note, I have to thank the Lord for all the wonderful, abounding, endless bounties of food that He has made, and also to a special friend who has shown me the small, but undeniable joys that comes with with truly appreciating food. You're the man, John. ;)
But no, I still don't think pizza is necessary at Thanksgiving.
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