Fill 'Er Up

Filled to the Fullness

Last night I made a pot of tea. I used a large regular teabag and two mango flavored regular size teabags. I ran water through twice and made two pots. The first pot I divided into containers for Nelson and I to take to work. I put them in the refrigerator so they would be nicely chilled for today. I drank the other pot hot.

I brought the first mug in and sat down in my chair in the living room where the kids were playing. Asher came over to check out what I had. After the tea cooled some, he asked for a sip. Each sip was followed by “just one more.” I finally went to the kitchen and poured the rest of that mug into a sippy cup for him. He just couldn’t get enough and was quite distraught when I shut him off (it was after nine PM, and his mommy would want him to sleep).

I thought about that this morning as I was sipping on another cup of tea and writing next week’s devotions. Pastor’s theme is “The Fullness of God.” I had written the entire week’s worth and was looking for a way to wrap up the theme when I turned to Ephesians 3:14-19:
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (NIV)

And from The Message:

14-19My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

I was reminded as I read this of the old “full serve” gas stations. Remember how you could just pull in, roll down the window, and tell the attendant, “Fill ‘er up!” They would clean the windows, check the oil, and if your tires looked low, put air in them. But we began to move faster and wanted the option of just pulling in and getting our gas ourselves. Fewer and fewer stations offered the amenities, until now little old ladies have to come in and plead for someone to help them with their gas.

When did we get the idea we could do it better ourselves? Oh, that’s right, in the Garden. In the very beginning we had it all, full service to the max, but we believed that we could be smarter than God. Instead of trusting the one who made everything to know what we needed, we broke the one rule given so we could be smart, too. But it was a dumb move that has just proceeded to show us over and over again down through time that we don’t have all the answers and we do need to trust one who is smarter than us.

But here’s the most incredible thing about the whole matter: God will still take the mess we create and use it to make an amazingly full and joy-full life for us. And the cost? Full serve. We have to give up running the show on our own and trust him. We have to turn over the maintenance of our lives to him. We have to quit running at the world’s pace and by its standards and do things God’s way. But in return we get the full fullness of God. And in a day when we are consumed by the fluctuations of the market, God is one option that you will never lose on!

And that brings me back to my tea. Here’s what I’ve learned about the goodness and fullness of God. I can’t ever seem to get enough, but that’s okay because it will never, ever run out! And no one is going to tell you you’ve had enough either! So drink up, fill ‘er up—there’s lots, lots more where that came from !

What's Your Aim?

I've been watching lots of kids' programming with the grandsweeties here this week. Right now CyberChase is on. There are a couple story lines going on, but one really caught my attention.

A couple of the kids are working on improving their hockey scoring. They were consistently missing the mark. The shot was a bank shot and each time they shot they missed because they didn't know where to aim. Once they were given a mark they were able to make the shot.

And that got me thinking...Two questions come to my mind when I think about aim: what are you aiming for; and how's your aim? The what assumes a target. Do you know what you want? My younger daughter wants to go back to school, but isn't willing to start until she's more sure about what she wants to take. Pretty sensible to me.

Typically we can set a lot of goals at this time of year. Some of them barely keep our attention for a week and then we feel disappointment and frustration at our lack of follow through. Perhaps the real problem lies in how we set our goals. As I was thinking about this the image of a target came to mind. You may have the goal in mind, but are you aiming for it? I think we've become to geared to being satisfied with just reaching the outer rings. We don't expect to hit the center so why try? That spot is reseved for a select few. I have a scientific word to resond to that: hogwash! What are you aiming for? What do you believe you can accomplish? Are you selling yourself short?

Spiritually, I believe we need goals. A few years back I felt led to led my goal, or guiding principle be "contentment." That was tough. Battling against discontent was good for my prayer life, that was for sure. This yearI keep coming back to the word "listen." God knows what I need and I have a suspicion that he's getting tried of me telling him how to handle things. I need to get better, and better at listening for and to his voice.

So, how's your aim and what are you aiming for?

Not Always What They Seem

I had blood work done last week as a follow up from my doctor's appointment in June. At that point I was borderline with my cholesteral. The report wasn't in my file when I arrived, but they faxxed it over from the lab. As soon as the doctor got the report she became very serious. Here's why:
Cholesterol: 275 (perferred range 50-200)
HDL: 39.7 (preferred range: >40
LDL: 189 (preferred range 0-130)
Triglycerides: 230 (preferredd range 35-150

National Cholesterol Recommended Reference Ranges:
Total Cholesterol: >240 High
HDL: >40 Normal
LDL: >190 Very High
Triglycerides: 200-499 High

Now you may be experts at understanding all this but I had to do some research--I really like the internet. Good cholesterol is the HDL and it can help bring down the bad cholesterol, but not when it's low and triglycerides are high.

So I'm not as healthy as I look or feel. I talked with my doctor about how the chaos and stress of the summer resulted in a lot of emotional eating on my part. It's scary to think what my numbers might have been before I started back to Curves.

The doctor said I know how to eat right and that I should keep exercising and she has put me on a low dose cholesterol medicine. I'm hoping it's something I can afford...because I don't know if I can afford to be without it.

Those are facts...now what about the implications.

I have been working out regularly at Curves and trying to eat better...but is better good enough. I called my mother to see if there was any genetic predisposition and there wasn't. So this is on me.

I was thinking about the spiritual implications. Cholesterol is a little like sin (stick with me here...and don't hold on to things to tightly...it is afterall a metaphor and any metaphor pushed too far falls apart). It lingers within, imperceptible and insidious, waiting for the time to strike. Watching for our weakness. The wages of sin is death.

What if I had chosen not to go back to the doctor? I didn't feel sick. I didn't look sick. Now I have to change the way I eat--and that won't be an easy task. I've been eating this way for nearly 52 years. I like eating--and I don't believe I've ever met a donut or cokie that I didn't like. Now that I know, I have a choice to make. Defeat the enemy or give in because it will be hard to change.

I'm going to fight. I confess my need. And I'm going to win.