Good Mood Food

By Donna McCrary –

“Now that is good mood food!”

This was the last line of my eight-year-old’s writing assignment, describing his favorite food – pizza. Either he is watching too much TV, borrowing the slogan from the most recent “Arby’s” commercial, or his spelling words for the week focused on the “oo” sound. As the parent, I prefer the spelling word explanation.

As a Christian, I prefer the good-mood-food version of the Bible. I like the scriptures that promise “the peace of God, that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), “your joy may be complete” (John 15:11), and “He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). These are good-mood-food scriptures; the ones we claim and celebrate because they make us feel good. But, if scripture is food for our spiritual diet, what happens when we live on dessert alone?

Heavier, more challenging scriptures, fiber-laden-scriptures if you will, don’t qualify as good-mood-food, but they serve a far greater purpose in our spiritual diet. The verses that challenge us to renew our corrupt minds; to love the unlovable; to forgive the unforgivable; to extend grace; to take a stand against the traditions of this world; to hold each other accountable; to speak the truth in love, even when it comes at the cost of rejection; oh, these scriptural truths don’t taste good and they don’t go down easy!

Recently, when faced with a troubling situation, I searched God’s Word for guidance. What I discovered in scripture was not good-mood-food. Nothing in me wanted to love someone who had hurt the people I loved or wanted to let go and truly forgive. I struggled to even be in the same room as this person.

This is where the tough-to-swallow-scriptures spoke, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15). That is not good mood food!  But it is God’s Word! I must consume a balanced diet of all scriptures, not just the good-mood-food. This is the only way to experience a healthy spiritual life.

You can’t live on good mood food alone. You have to add some tough to swallow fiber to your spiritual diet!

PRAYER: God, thank You for your goodness and Your promises that I claim and celebrate. Help me learn to live out Your Word daily even when it is not the easy, feel good choice.

BIBLE VERSE: “Jesus himself said, ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4 NIV).

 

The Sugar-Coated Wiggles

By Donna McCrary –

Since when is “wiggle” a politically correct word? Apparently I missed the mom memo from my children’s dentist. Don’t get me wrong “tooth extraction” is not exactly the phrase I am advocating. However, when I was a child you “pulled” your teeth. We used this phrase because that is what you did. I don’t remember tooth-pulling being a traumatic event in my childhood. Tooth-pulling was often a family affair filled with nagging siblings, plier-holding grandmothers, and creative ways to incorporate tools, dental floss, and slamming doors. In fact, my sweet, dainty, 100-pound grandmother would often jokingly grab the pliers and try to coerce me into letting her “yank” the dangling tooth.

As I left the dentist office, part of me was laughing but a deeper part of me was saddened. Are we really at point in society where sugar coating the truth is the standard? When my child asked point blank, “Will it hurt? Do I have to get a shot?” The truth was hidden somewhere in the words, “Don’t worry we will make you as comfortable as possible. You won’t feel much more than a little wiggle!” Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the staff offering comfort to my daughter, but how damaging is the truth expressed as truth?

With the festivities of fall approaching, how are we sugarcoating the truth? The truth – hell is real. The truth – Satan, also named the Devil, Lucifer and the Father of Lies, is real. The truth – Satan is not running around dressed in red tights, sparkling horns and carrying a pitch fork. This is the sugar coated version and to some it tastes better. It is hard to take seriously red tights and plastic pitch forks. The truth – “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). The truth – hell is a place of torment (Luke 16:23 NIV). The truth – All who do evil and are separated from Jesus will be thrown “into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42 NIV).

Let’s stop sugar coating the truth. Satan and Hell are real! All those who do not accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ will experience hell –an eternity of torment and pain. Not wiggles!

PRAYER: Father, help me see, hear and share Your truth with boldness. Open my eyes to the ways I sugar-coat the reality of hell. Instill in me a deep desire to take a stand for Your Word and share Your son Jesus Christ to those around me with diligence and passion so their eternal reality is heaven.

BIBLE VERSE: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor death, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39 NIV).

Experience

By Donna McCrary –

“One. Two. Three.”

“Shhhh! Don’t talk to me!”

“One. Two. Three.”

“Ouch!”

“One. Two. Three.”

These words dominated the conversation on my last date with my husband. Not our typical conversation to say the least. The awkward tension radiating through our limbs was not typical of our dates either. On this particular date night, we agreed to go ball room dancing with some friends.

This is so not like us! To bluntly clarify the drastic difference in our dance abilities, our friends  share talent, training, and time. We share four left feet, no rhythm, and trained only in ‘college day’ party moves.

In between songs, our friends would graciously stop and teach us the basic dance steps called out by the DJ. By the end of the night we could add the Waltz and Swing to our “party moves”. Well, that may be an overstatement. We could complete the steps as long as we continually counted them out and limited all other movement in our bodies to allow our brain to be fully focused on our left feet.

Throughout the night, I watched our friends effortlessly float across the dance floor. They would talk, laugh, and joke with each other as they transitioned from the Swing to the Cha-Cha to the Foxtrot like pros. My husband jokingly said, “We could do that if we shared twenty plus years of experience.” They didn’t have to count their steps. They didn’t have to slow down or check their dance posture. They didn’t have to follow the “rules.” They just danced!

Our friends at one point in time were the awkward couple on the dance floor. They both had a moment, however brief, when they had to count their steps, twirl awkwardly, and follow the “rules”. Their dancing abilities stemmed from commitment, time, practice, and even a few falls once in a while.

Experience, commitment, time, practice, and even a few falls once in a while is the distinctive difference in those who effortlessly spin, twirl, laugh, and immensely enjoy their relationship with Jesus. Most of us start out awkward, rigid, and counting steps when we first declare Jesus as our Lord and Savior. However, if we make the commitment, take the time, practice, and get back up when we fall, our relationship will start to flow effortlessly with experience.

Are you dancing or counting steps in your relationship? Does your experience set you apart?

PRAYER: Father, give me a burning desire to spend time with You. Help me learn how to dance daily in Your presence.

BIBLE VERSE:  “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14 NIV).

Horse Manure or Miracle Grow

By Donna McCrary –

“Miracle grow that is a fabulous name for it… we just called it horse manure!”

Edna was one of my favorite patients, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. During our horticulture therapy session, we were diligently planting spring flowers in the open courtyard. I was reminiscing with Edna about her childhood growing up on a farm. We were chatting about chickens, planting corn, and growing green beans and squash. Edna was deep in conversation describing silly stories of her childhood days. Not all the stories made logical sense, because her concept of time was distorted by the disease. But on that day, time was of little concern to Edna. Excitement beamed from her face as she mindlessly fumbled with the soil in the oversized container. She “ooohed “ and “ahhhed” at each colorful flower as if experiencing it for the first time.

As our gardening session ended, I casually reminded my assistant to add the Miracle Grow fertilizer to each pot. Edna overheard this simple request and in an instant her face lit up with the most astonishing expression. She grabbed my arm and exclaimed in childlike amazement, “Miracle Grow! Ohh, Miracle Grow! That is the best name ever! We just called it horse manure when I was growing up!” Laughter exploded from our group as Edna proudly wheeled herself back inside, amazed at this newfound revelation. Miracle Grow or horse manure – it was the same to Edna!

Edna was a precious soul. She struggled daily to remember her name. She would often be found wandering the halls searching for her “home.” More than once, I was a long lost sister playing outside in the garden with her. But on this particular day, Edna, in her weakest mind, had a very wise and profound revelation. Sometimes what we see as stinky horse manure God uses to make miracles grow!

It is the stinky messes that refine us into the image of Christ. It is the stinky messes that God uses to fertilize our relationship with Him. It is the stinky messes that bring us to our knees in utter desperation. It is the stinky messes that cultivate in us a beautiful image of Christ! My challenge to you today is to chuckle like Edna at this new and most amazing name for all your stinky “horse manure” messes: Miracle Grow.

PRAYER: Father, today help me be thankful for all the “stinky messes” that are a part of my life.  God, please continue to refine me into the image of Your Son. Draw me closer through a deeper understanding of Your love, grace, and mercy in middle of my mess.

BIBLE VERSE: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7 NIV).

Living in Context

By Donna McCrary –

Forest Gump said, “My mama always says, ‘life is like a box of chocolates.’”

Renee Zellweger romantically confessed, “You complete me” in the movie, Jerry Maguire.

Martin Luther King shouted, “I have a dream!”

All of these famous quotes bring a smile to our face and an immediate reaction to the context in which they were stated. The context provides the punch. Many people claim, “I have a dream.” However, the context (position, person, and particular moment) of these spoken words are the cement that places them into the fabric of our culture. Same with the movie lines, it is the context (emotion, story line, and setting) that breeds recognition in the expressions.

Context is what gave new life to a powerful scripture for me. Context is what made it stand apart with a new and fresh perspective. “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). Pull this out of context and it appears to say, “Ask for your wants, desires, dreams and all the things that will bring you temporary joy and I, Jesus, being in complete control will fill you with abundant joy just because you asked.” I must admit my prayers at times resemble this logic. However, after reading this in context of the setting, the Person, the emotion of the moment, I grasped a deeper understanding in Jesus’ Words.

In context, Jesus was speaking to His closest followers, His disciples; the people who walked away from normal to live radical. The people willing to forsake all they knew to exist daily trusting in Jesus to provide, teach, protect, and direct their steps. Jesus didn’t say these words to the miracle spectators. He said them to the dedicated men and women willing to walk by faith, take up their cross, and follow Him. In context, He proclaimed these words to the very people He called friends.

When I looked at the context of Jesus in my daily life, I had to ask myself some tough questions. Am I dedicated to living the radical life of a disciple? Do my actions resemble great miracles and mountain moving prayers? I know Jesus is true to His word! Will I put myself in the right context to experience His joy for me?

Are you living in the right context to experience joy in Christ?

PRAYER: Father, help me draw close to You and live my life in the context of Your plan for me.

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full”  (John 16:24 NIV).

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »