Hope
| Recently my 25 year old son stopped by my house to do laundry. I was preparing to eat some breakfast which I had made the previous evening. “Hey, try this,” I said, raising a half teaspoon of chocolate chia pudding on a clean spoon. He looked at me hesitantly and did not turn his body toward me. He looked at the barely half filled spoon. He looked at me, as years of this, my normal behavior, crossed his mind. He had obviously had other experiences with chia pudding that I was not aware of, and had his own opinion on it. And yet, after a pause, he took the bite. “Not bad,” he said, “I don’t usually like chia cuz it’s slimy.” When he took that bite, kindly on behalf of his Mom, overcoming his own feelings in deference to me, I had an epiphany. I eat a lot of things. I love many foods, international dishes, vegan and carnivore, etc. I think I’m so adventurous. But I am downright squeamish when it comes to protein powders and other mixes. I pretty much CAN’T make myself eat them. The thought of it makes me want to hide in a closet, screaming like a toddler. When he chose to eat that bite, I thought of how much will-power, faith, trust, and self mastery it takes for a person who doesn’t believe in God to try to believe. It goes against so many factors in their experience, and ideas they have established in their minds. When you offer a bite of belief to another human being, they have to weigh what they know against who you are and what you are offering. It takes an enormous effort to reach out of their box to look inside a box you are promising is full of good things. They might not be up to the task on just any old day. But ONE day, they might be. It’s up to you to have something to share, something you can offer with assurance that it really is worth the effort. This is just an encouragement to never, never give up on your loved ones or your fellow man. The Spirit of God can give anyone strength to overcome spiritual squeamishnesses, but we need to lovingly and encouragingly continue to invite them to taste the good things God offers. |
