Ladies and gentlemen, I may have outdone myself. This delectable pan of scrumptious goodness is the ultimate baked spaghetti. No joke. Hands down. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! But this post isn’t really about the baked spaghetti; it merely served as a nice segue I think.
I received a text at 6:41 am this morning. Generally speaking, when I receive texts at that time of day, it probably isn’t anything good. However, this proved to be a great way to start my day. I was running a little behind and still sitting at my desk doing my morning Bible reading and writing. The text simply said, “I think I had my first spiritual experience last night. I’ve already told “Sam” (the husband) all about it this morning……..I’ve been up since 4 am thinking about it”. The smile on my face couldn’t have been bigger and my eyes filled with joyful and grateful tears. THAT!! That’s what I’ve been hoping and praying for. That’s the result of being in the Word, talking to God, leaning in to hear what He has to say, believing in His promises, and having faith that Jesus really did what He said He did.
I’ve probably been guilty of being Betty Bible Thumper a few times in my life. I had good intentions, but the method was terrible. As I’ve gotten older, spent more time in the Word, and watched God work in my life, I’ve realized that all I need to do is let them see for themselves what He’s done. That means being vulnerable which is often a bit embarrassing or humiliating. But it allows someone to say, “Are you kidding? You did that, too?” Of course, I’m also steering them to the Bible as well. This combination has resulted in getting to see firsthand the transforming power of God.
For several years now, I’ve started each new year with some type of fast; for the most part, it’s been eliminating sugar. Historically, the first 7-14 days are absolutely excruciating. I have headaches, my stomach turns, my body is generally in revolt; I’m in full-blown withdrawal. But if I can get past those first two weeks, it gets much easier.
This year started very differently. I coasted through the first 19 days. I began to feel pretty confident. I had kicked sugar’s butt. And then day 20 came. Yep, you guessed it. I took a nose-dive for the record books. I didn’t cheat. Not once. But the desire for something with salted caramel nearly took me out. I was in a war and I don’t like losing.
The idea behind my fast isn’t to replace sugar with unsweetened things (or even salty things, etc.). Craving God and what He has to say to me is the goal. To have a second helping or even a third is what I’m looking for. Every time throughout my day that I want something sweet (or anything to fill that “hunger” growl) I want to instead feast on the Word. That’s eternal food. It doesn’t spoil. It won’t cause weight gain. It’s exactly what I need every single time.
So, back to my early morning text. That’s what my friend was experiencing. She’s been consuming God’s Word on a regular basis for the first time in her life and He’s speaking to her. She’s hearing Him. And it’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!
Now, although I’m fasting from sugar, I am NOT fasting from the ultimate baked spaghetti. So if you’ll excuse me, I have a plate to fix.