Monday, April 21, 2014

Eating Without Being Fed

We had a fantastically busy Easter weekend.

My husband and I had a lot planned for the weekend. He was off from work on Friday, so we spent the day prepping things we'd need for the weekend- a birthday cake for my daughter (who was having a party Saturday), cakes for the Easter luncheon at church on Sunday and for dinner at his mother's house Sunday evening, and many gallons of homemade iced tea and lemonade for all three events. Oh, and we invited friends over for a cookout that night too.

Friday we set up, served, and cleaned up. Saturday we set up, served, and cleaned up. Sunday we set up, served, and cleaned up. All three days were spent having fun, spending time with family and friends, and eating. Especially the eating part. Everything we did seemed to focus on food.

Sunday evening my husband and I, wearied, settled in for the night. I realized something was missing the entire weekend. I looked at my husband. "Did you have any chance to think about God this entire weekend?"
He looked at me, surprised. "No, I didn't." 
Since he was a church deacon, I was running the bread ministry, and both of us were on the hospitality team, we had just become too busy serving to consider what the "holiday" was all about.
"I think we missed the point of this whole weekend." I lamented. He couldn't have agreed more.

In making all of these plans to feed others, we forgot to feed ourselves the Bread of Life- we forgot all about God and His Son. The sacrifice was forgotten, the miracle of His resurrection unacknowledged. We ate like kings, yet we forgot to include the King of Kings in the feasting.

Yikes.

The only prayers that were made were over the food before we ate. There was no time to listen to the sermon, because we had to have things ready when services ended. We put Jesus in a box and stuck him on the shelf until the busywork was done. Then we forgot to open the box and let Him out again.

And not only on special occasions either.

Fasting is to be spiritually fed while not eating. To eat while not being spiritually fed? Well, it's just eating. I can do that anytime.

I'm sure God will forgive me (He's good like that), but it made me realize that I spend too many special occasions (and even the not-so-special ones) not focusing my energy where I should. I lose sight of the purpose- the reason I'm here in the first place- which is to glorify God.

It's a good thing God allows do-overs. Every day is a fresh, new start. Today I'll make breakfast, but also have a good talk with the Lord- I need to be fed both ways this morning!

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