Day 10
This morning, David and I sat down to a breakfast of poached eggs and melon. Our minds were occupied with thoughts of the day, our conversation light. Then all of sudden, David said, “Are you tasting this?” His instantaneous prompt made me realize that I wasn’t. Not really. I was eating my breakfast without any sense that I was eating my breakfast.
We both slowed down, paid attention to what we were tasting, especially the melon. (Do you call it cantaloupe? Or musk melon?) In my area, we have these amazing melons called Vincennes melons. They come from the Southern part of the state, are enormous, and have a ridiculously sweet, delicious flavor. (If you like melon!)
So, I slowed down and really tasted the melon. It’s a bit of an unusual flavor, really. Very sweet, yet earthy, musky. It’s almost as thought you can taste the moist soil from which it grew. The texture is unique, too. Kind of fibrous and stringy, but full of mouth watering zest.
Once again, I saw how slowing down and paying attention to my senses helps me enter the present moment, the only place where I can experience God. The only moment that really exists. The past is past. The future is yet to be. I have this moment of time, this breath of life, to live and be and abide in Christ.
Tasting breakfast helped me do that. It became a spiritual experience because it led me into a fuller awareness of God, the One from whom every good and perfect gift—including Vincennes melons—comes.
Are you tasting your breakfast? Why not slow down, take a bite, truly taste it and live fully attentive to that experience. See what happens when you do. Bon appetite!
P.S. Don't forget to register for The Art of Faith: Awakening Your Senses to the Wonder of God on October 3 in Indianapolis. After Saturday, the 26th, the cost increases. Space is limited. We have folks coming from Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois and Kentucky!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
30 Days of Tasting
Day 9
True confessions. I fell prey to the golden arches today. And believe it or not, that is the most memorable taste of the day! I succumbed to number 6 on the menu—a double cheeseburger and fries. I didn’t even try to eat somewhat healthy. If I was going to fall, I was going to fall big. (No, I didn’t super size! I have some scruples.)
Here’s what happened. I spent three hours cleaning a rental property that my brothers and I own together. We had to evict the occupants and are fixing it up so that we can find (hopefully!) some decent renters. My brothers had done all the painting and fix up, so it was my turn to apply some elbow grease to cleaning it. Okay. I don’t really like cleaning someone else’s dirt. I wasn’t totally depressed. But it was hard scrubbing down cabinets, a bathtub and toilet and washing yellow nicotine off the windows.
So, when I left, I was hungry. The nearest intersection to the rental had two options, a Taco Bell and a McDonald's. I chose the later. I even looked forward to it! The anticipation of a greasy cheeseburger felt somehow like a “reward” for doing a job I really didn’t enjoy doing.
On the way home, I thought about my impulse to seek pleasure in something that had immediate gratification after having done something that was unpleasant. I understand that it’s natural to try to find some kind of release after hard work. So, I’m not so hung up on my choice of such a dubious reward.
But as I was driving home, I began a thoughtful conversation with God about the whole thing. By this time, I was feeling very full and a twinge guilty, accompanied with a sudden urge to exercise. It occurred to me that many people spend a lot of their days doing work they hate. Their lives are filled with drudgery, pain and hopelessness. No wonder people look to alcohol, food addictions and sex to counter the depressing ambiance of their lives.
It made me wonder how I would do if I were them.
True confessions. I fell prey to the golden arches today. And believe it or not, that is the most memorable taste of the day! I succumbed to number 6 on the menu—a double cheeseburger and fries. I didn’t even try to eat somewhat healthy. If I was going to fall, I was going to fall big. (No, I didn’t super size! I have some scruples.)
Here’s what happened. I spent three hours cleaning a rental property that my brothers and I own together. We had to evict the occupants and are fixing it up so that we can find (hopefully!) some decent renters. My brothers had done all the painting and fix up, so it was my turn to apply some elbow grease to cleaning it. Okay. I don’t really like cleaning someone else’s dirt. I wasn’t totally depressed. But it was hard scrubbing down cabinets, a bathtub and toilet and washing yellow nicotine off the windows.
So, when I left, I was hungry. The nearest intersection to the rental had two options, a Taco Bell and a McDonald's. I chose the later. I even looked forward to it! The anticipation of a greasy cheeseburger felt somehow like a “reward” for doing a job I really didn’t enjoy doing.
On the way home, I thought about my impulse to seek pleasure in something that had immediate gratification after having done something that was unpleasant. I understand that it’s natural to try to find some kind of release after hard work. So, I’m not so hung up on my choice of such a dubious reward.
But as I was driving home, I began a thoughtful conversation with God about the whole thing. By this time, I was feeling very full and a twinge guilty, accompanied with a sudden urge to exercise. It occurred to me that many people spend a lot of their days doing work they hate. Their lives are filled with drudgery, pain and hopelessness. No wonder people look to alcohol, food addictions and sex to counter the depressing ambiance of their lives.
It made me wonder how I would do if I were them.
Monday, September 21, 2009
30 Days of Tasting
Day 8
Tonight, I made ground turkey gyros to take to Brandt and Laura (our son and daughter-in-law) as a peace offering so that I could see our brand new grandbaby—Elias David. As I was preparing the meal, I made the traditional sour cream and yogurt sauce. The moment I opened the jar of dill and sprinkled in a generous amount, I was reminded of how much I love that spice! I love the aroma and the taste of dill.
Dill was my most memorable taste of the day. It reminds me of how bland food would be without spices. Dill, along with coriander, garlic and Cavendar’s Greek seasoning (if you’ve never tried it, it’s amazing!) were the spices I added to the meat and sauce. Without them, both would have been incredibly tasteless.
What is it that adds flavor to my spiritual life and relationship with God? My immediate response is those moments when God shows up in everyday life. Something happens and I know it isn’t just a coincidence. (David and I have been talking about coincidences lately. He’s reading a novel by that name.) One of the most amazing coincidences/God-moments is when I think or pray for someone and the next moment they call or I run into them. That very thing happened last week.
I was having lunch with Brent Bill, finishing our plans for The Art of Faith. On my way, I thought of my friend, Laurie, who died just three weeks ago. I thought of her daughter, Liz, and said to myself, “I want to call Liz and invite her lunch next week.” An hour later, sitting outdoors at this restaurant with Brent, I looked up and here came Liz. Of all the places she could be, and times she could be there, she showed up at the same place where I was, moments after I had thought of her. That’s one of the ways God spices up my life. How about for you?
Tonight, I made ground turkey gyros to take to Brandt and Laura (our son and daughter-in-law) as a peace offering so that I could see our brand new grandbaby—Elias David. As I was preparing the meal, I made the traditional sour cream and yogurt sauce. The moment I opened the jar of dill and sprinkled in a generous amount, I was reminded of how much I love that spice! I love the aroma and the taste of dill.
Dill was my most memorable taste of the day. It reminds me of how bland food would be without spices. Dill, along with coriander, garlic and Cavendar’s Greek seasoning (if you’ve never tried it, it’s amazing!) were the spices I added to the meat and sauce. Without them, both would have been incredibly tasteless.
What is it that adds flavor to my spiritual life and relationship with God? My immediate response is those moments when God shows up in everyday life. Something happens and I know it isn’t just a coincidence. (David and I have been talking about coincidences lately. He’s reading a novel by that name.) One of the most amazing coincidences/God-moments is when I think or pray for someone and the next moment they call or I run into them. That very thing happened last week.
I was having lunch with Brent Bill, finishing our plans for The Art of Faith. On my way, I thought of my friend, Laurie, who died just three weeks ago. I thought of her daughter, Liz, and said to myself, “I want to call Liz and invite her lunch next week.” An hour later, sitting outdoors at this restaurant with Brent, I looked up and here came Liz. Of all the places she could be, and times she could be there, she showed up at the same place where I was, moments after I had thought of her. That’s one of the ways God spices up my life. How about for you?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
30 Days of Tasting
Day 7
“What sounds good for dinner?” All day long, I have been asking myself that question. We are having our house church over tonight and I am making the main course. I knew I wanted to make soup of some kind, but my mind has been undulating over what kind of soup.
When I asked myself, “What sounds good?” I wasn’t really looking for an answer of an auditory nature. I was asking what sounds like it will taste good. I was calling on my memory of food and my preferences for food and asking them to speak to me.
It’s an art to listen to your appetite and be able to answer definitively the question of what sounds good. (I’ve decided on tomato basil soup, in case you are wondering.) Reflecting on Day 7 of tasting, what stands out most is the way that my mind and palate worked together to decide what I would prepare.
Here’s the connection with our spirituality: The Christian life is a nurturing faith. Jesus used bread and wine to speak of the way he would nourish us every time we come together in his name. He is the bread of life. He is the living water that becomes within us a fresh infilling of joy and zest for life. Far too often, however, we get in a rut when it comes to nourishing our own spirits.
What if we approached spiritual nurture by asking, “What sounds good?” What if we trusted our own hearts to tell us what nutrients we need to heal and become more whole? Instead of going through the motions of our daily spiritual routines, asking the question, “what sounds good” has the potential to break us out of deadening patterns and lead us toward a real companionship with Christ.
We might hear, “take a walk,” or “take a nap.” We might realize that cleaning out the garage or shooting hoops is the very thing that will bring us closer to Jesus. In recent years, I have learned to trust my heart, that deep place where I abide in Christ, to lead me and show me what I really need.
Tomorrow, as you think about how to pursue a relationship with Christ, why not ask yourself, “what sounds good?” and let your spiritual palate speak to you about what you really need and desire.
“What sounds good for dinner?” All day long, I have been asking myself that question. We are having our house church over tonight and I am making the main course. I knew I wanted to make soup of some kind, but my mind has been undulating over what kind of soup.
When I asked myself, “What sounds good?” I wasn’t really looking for an answer of an auditory nature. I was asking what sounds like it will taste good. I was calling on my memory of food and my preferences for food and asking them to speak to me.
It’s an art to listen to your appetite and be able to answer definitively the question of what sounds good. (I’ve decided on tomato basil soup, in case you are wondering.) Reflecting on Day 7 of tasting, what stands out most is the way that my mind and palate worked together to decide what I would prepare.
Here’s the connection with our spirituality: The Christian life is a nurturing faith. Jesus used bread and wine to speak of the way he would nourish us every time we come together in his name. He is the bread of life. He is the living water that becomes within us a fresh infilling of joy and zest for life. Far too often, however, we get in a rut when it comes to nourishing our own spirits.
What if we approached spiritual nurture by asking, “What sounds good?” What if we trusted our own hearts to tell us what nutrients we need to heal and become more whole? Instead of going through the motions of our daily spiritual routines, asking the question, “what sounds good” has the potential to break us out of deadening patterns and lead us toward a real companionship with Christ.
We might hear, “take a walk,” or “take a nap.” We might realize that cleaning out the garage or shooting hoops is the very thing that will bring us closer to Jesus. In recent years, I have learned to trust my heart, that deep place where I abide in Christ, to lead me and show me what I really need.
Tomorrow, as you think about how to pursue a relationship with Christ, why not ask yourself, “what sounds good?” and let your spiritual palate speak to you about what you really need and desire.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
30 Days of Tasting
Day 6
A bride eating barbequed ribs—now that’s not somethin’ you see everyday! But it’s somethin’ we saw today. We went to a wedding and reception of one of our kid’s friends. At the reception, before our table was called to the buffet line, I thought I detected the smell of smokey, savory barbeque sauce. Sure enough, as we went through the line, at the end of it were piles of greasy, hard-to-eat-without-making-a-mess ribs.
They definitely are what stand out to me from today, the sixth day in my tasting exercise. I don’t know the last time that I had ribs. I don’t believe that I have ever even made them. I don’t eat ribs largely because they are fattening and you get them all over yourself when you eat them. However, tonight at the reception, they were the hit on my dinner plate!
Evidently, the wedding photographer saw the bride, Becky, eating her ribs with her fingers, shot a picture and said, “That’s the first bride I have ever seen eating ribs.” But it’s SO Becky. It suites her tastes and her personality. She is a robust, fun-loving, always smiling (and singing) young woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty—even eating ribs in her wedding dress.
I find that refreshing. I am often too careful to get my hands (and face!) dirty. I opt for safer choices on the menu so that I don’t have to contend with whether I got all the sauce off my face or the meat out from between my teeth.
As I reflect on the sense of taste and how it relates to my spiritual life, this image of an uninhibited bride eating ribs to her heart’s content really sticks with me. It makes me want to throw off my cautious way of living and dig in with all of my being and learn to feast! I picture Jesus being able to do that. Maybe that’s where the rumor got started that he was a glutton and drunkard. Not only did he turn water into to wine at that wedding, he must have eaten ribs!
A bride eating barbequed ribs—now that’s not somethin’ you see everyday! But it’s somethin’ we saw today. We went to a wedding and reception of one of our kid’s friends. At the reception, before our table was called to the buffet line, I thought I detected the smell of smokey, savory barbeque sauce. Sure enough, as we went through the line, at the end of it were piles of greasy, hard-to-eat-without-making-a-mess ribs.
They definitely are what stand out to me from today, the sixth day in my tasting exercise. I don’t know the last time that I had ribs. I don’t believe that I have ever even made them. I don’t eat ribs largely because they are fattening and you get them all over yourself when you eat them. However, tonight at the reception, they were the hit on my dinner plate!
Evidently, the wedding photographer saw the bride, Becky, eating her ribs with her fingers, shot a picture and said, “That’s the first bride I have ever seen eating ribs.” But it’s SO Becky. It suites her tastes and her personality. She is a robust, fun-loving, always smiling (and singing) young woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty—even eating ribs in her wedding dress.
I find that refreshing. I am often too careful to get my hands (and face!) dirty. I opt for safer choices on the menu so that I don’t have to contend with whether I got all the sauce off my face or the meat out from between my teeth.
As I reflect on the sense of taste and how it relates to my spiritual life, this image of an uninhibited bride eating ribs to her heart’s content really sticks with me. It makes me want to throw off my cautious way of living and dig in with all of my being and learn to feast! I picture Jesus being able to do that. Maybe that’s where the rumor got started that he was a glutton and drunkard. Not only did he turn water into to wine at that wedding, he must have eaten ribs!
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