Six Feet Under

       Have you ever been convicted to do something and you just didn’t want to do it, so you kept putting it off week after week.  That was me just about a month ago.  It’s been over a year the Lord has been telling me to eat healthier.  To look at me, I’m fairly lightweight, but don’t let that fool you.  My diet was full of sugars, carbs, chocolates, and all kinds of things that didn’t make for a healthy me.  Well, God’s patience only lasted as long as He wanted it to, and then He took His protection off.  All of a sudden, I was experiencing gastrointestinal problems any time I ate!

       So, did I manage to change?  Yes I did.  See, I tend to be a visual learner (meaning I learn best by seeing) so every time I wanted something unhealthy, I pictured myself six feet under in a casket.  No, I’m not being morbid, just picturing what the Bible says.  We are supposed to be dead to sin.  If we are dead, we can’t move, take, chew, hear, see…  sin.  I’m sure if I were in a box six feet underground, there is no way I could reach up and take those cookies I wanted, that chocolate bar I craved, that big piece of cake calling to me, “Vicky…”

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Rom. 6:11

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  Rom. 8:13 (mortify- kill, cause to be put to death)

       Our bodies want to do all kinds of things that we shouldn’t, and that is why we are carnally minded (Rom. 8:6*) and increase our carnal appetites.  Our mind wanders to all the things we want, then our flesh kicks in and says, “Yes, I want that, really bad!”  Then we go and get it and thereby we ‘feed’ the flesh which ultimately brings death (*).  The other thing that helps me is to remember,

Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there.  Gal. 5:14 TLB

I am crucified with Christ… Gal 2:20 

(believer)…take up his cross daily, and follow me.  Lk. 9:23

       Sometimes it also helps for me to picture myself nailed to the cross with Jesus who is all bruised and bloodied for me.  Then I think about how sad He must be when I won’t do His will because my flesh doesn’t want me to.  Somehow, no excuse seems to work after imagining Him suffering on the cross; and that helps me ‘mortify’ my body.  And so daily I do my best (certainly not perfect here!) to crucify myself which means my flesh is dead, and that helps me to make healthier choices in my day.  For me, it is best that my flesh remain six feet under.

       If there is something the Lord is convicting you about, don’t wait to work on it.  It doesn’t have to be a food issue, but there are so many issues of the flesh to pick from, aren’t there.  Start to make effort toward what God wants you to work on using methods that will help you.  And never stop praying for help!!!

Alone

       Some days we all feel alone.  It doesn’t matter that people surround us, or that we drive by them, work with them, and talk with them.  We just feel alone.  “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:18)  God said these words though He was already here (Gen. 1:1) and the animals were also created (Gen. 1:20-25) when man was created (Gen. 1:27).  We were not meant to be alone.  The Lord God Almighty can bring us to a place where we never feel alone again.  I can attest to this by my own life.  Here are some poems of mine to show my journey with Him.

Untitled (1981- age14)

I am here

Alone

All by myself.

No one enters,

And I

Remain alone.

     Alone (1995, age 28)                                          Never Alone (2003- age 36)

     I burn in the fire                                             She walks alone

     Alone                                                               To the beat of a different drum.

     My flesh consumed                                           No one notices her

     With pain                                                      As she walks by

     Melting away to nothing                                     But a little smile

     And no one knows                                            Plays on her lips.

     I drown in the flood                                         She stands alone

     Alone                                                                 In the midst of the crowded room

     Engulfed in water that                                          Not really fitting in.

     Fills my lungs                                                She understands that

     No room is left for air                                           The choices she made

     And no one sees                                                 Alienates her from others.

     Caged with wild beasts                                  She sits alone

     Alone                                                                Often: when at school and at work.

     They tear chunks of meat                                    Others wonder why

     From my bones                                             She is so different

     I am exposed to all                                             For she doesn’t

     And no one cares                                               Behave the way they do.

     Seized by my enemies                                    She kneels alone

     Alone                                                                 In the darkness of her room

     Body and soul tormented                                     Lifting her voice in prayer

     As they jeer                                                    For all those she knows

     My body is beaten and bruised                            And those she does not.

     And no one helps                                               She is not alone.

                                                                      

     Long nails pierced His hands                           She is never alone.

     Alone

     Humiliated , betrayed, beaten

     And whipped

     His blood poured out for me

     He died to help

     He will help me.

You are not alone.

You are never alone.



Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee Beans

       I read an internet story once that gave a visual I won’t easily forget.  The storyline is something like: when the trials of life envelop us, we usually react in one of three ways- like a carrot, an egg, or coffee.  It likened the trials to boiling water and how it affects each of the items.  A strong, hard carrot boiled too long becomes mushy and as long as it has water, will begin to weaken and fall apart (yes, personal cooking experience! L ).  Actually, I’ve done some of this myself- you know- falling apart when going through tough times.  Like when I’d fall apart and return to ‘emotional eating’ over and over (not very healthy!).

       If you don’t react to adversity by falling apart, perhaps you are more like an egg.  A fragile and malleable egg turns hard from its experience with boiling water.  A short time in the cooker and it is still tasty, but just keep it in too long and the yoke goes blackish green and there is a sulfur smell.  Keep boiling it in the water and the yoke dries out horribly, the white turns rubbery and the egg stinks, thereby ruining it (so I’m told).  Some say the shell cracks up.  I know a person who responds to life’s trials this way.  He is still hard and bitter over all that has happened.  His exterior ‘cracks’ can cut you if you’re not careful, and the ‘stench’ of that bitterness reaches out and drags every one around it down.

       If you are neither carrot nor egg, you just may be coffee beans.  In boiling water, coffee actually changes the composition of the water around it for the better (in most people’s opinion).  The fragrance and flavour of the beans infuse into the water.  From this we learn that life’s experience may be used to help us change for the better, learn how to improve situations, and change/ imporve the world around us.

(God of all comfort) who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  2Cor. 1:4 NKJV

       For me, I think I’ve finally become more bean-like instead of carrot-like, only I prefer to be cocoa beans instead of coffee beans! J  Scripturally speaking about trials, we are told that adversity produces perseverance, builds character, and increases our hope (expectation- trust) in God.  From life's adversity, I have changed.  Parts of that are negative, but the greater part is positive changes.  I trust the Lord more, and it is a real, deep down trust instead of the surface trust I used to live with.  I know who I am because I am certain who He is, what He has done, and how much He loves me.  Adversity causes us to grow.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts…  Rom. 5:3-5 NKJV
…is your life full of difficulties and temptations?  Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems.  For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.  Jm. 1:2-4 TLB

 

So, when adversity boils around you, how do you react?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee beans?