Did Ciara’s voice come to mind when you read the title? hahaha, me too. I caught myself mid dance, but lest I digress.
Excitement. That is what I felt when my mom told me we would be having homemade burgers and fries. Mom’s cooking is exquisite, so yes, even as a 30 something year old, my belly rumbles with joy in anticipation every time she throws down.
Mom informed me of this treat a week before it was to happen. Next Sunday she said. That’s really all I needed. My expectation was set, and I had a full week to look forward to it. I know my mom well enough to know that if she says she will do something, she will bend over backwards to make sure it happens. Even if the initial day changes, my mom is not flaky. It’ll still happen. At no point was my focus on the day to day circumstances leading to the D-day. It was always on mom. Dependable mom. Trustworthy mom. Loving mom, who enjoys stuffing her children with the good good kind of scrumptious and palatable food.
This got me thinking about God, His word, and faith. To His children, God says, your expectations will not be cut short |Prov.23:18|. Expectation here is interchangeable with hope. Let me ask you a question. If given the option to choose between process and reward, what would you pick? I believe most, if not all, myself included would choose reward. You don’t have to ask me twice, I would much rather skip the work.
The above verse is in my opinion one of the most quoted, right up there with I can do all things through Christ… That’s not to say that there is anything wrong with this, except for maybe what’s continuously skipped over. Verse 17, the DIY part before the promise, let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all day long. Which brings me back to food. My momma’s cooking is synonymous with flavor. Every single time, without fail, my taste buds are blown to shreds with every delightful sensation I can think of. But I can always tell when the chicken for example, has sat in a marinade for a good amount of time. Boy is there a difference! The spices have time to sip into every crevice and rest, pushing the flavors to the very pinnacle of epic.
What I have come to realize is this. The spices are great and all, but the real sauce is my mom. When I watch her cook, it looks to me like she doesn’t measure and just lets the spices fall until the Holy Spirit says stop. I feel like He maybe shouts sometimes, ‘cuz my mom. She just lets herself go hahaha. But dang, is she beyond skilled at knowing just the right amount of everything to put to make the combination work. This my people is the essence of meditation. Marinating in God.
What you look forward to is heavily dependent on the quality of time spent with God. He is not in the business of withholding anything good from you, but you have to do your part. I trust my mom to deliver because I know her character. That was not learned in one day. It’s been years of being around each other, communicating…vibing. This is also why I can tell my mom’s voice apart from others. It is distinct to me.
Quotables are snapshots, and they don’t really do much to reveal who God is. He gave us himself in the form of Jesus, not to be a bumper sticker, but as an example to follow. He has also given us His word, not just to extinguish fires (although it’s great for that!), but to govern our lives. When it comes to our expectations, God should be our frame of reference. Dependable God. Trustworthy God. Loving God, who enjoys stuffing His children with the good good, everything that pertains to abundant life, and godliness.
If you have put God in a box, may I suggest that it’s time for an unboxing. If you have been following just anyone, may I encourage redirecting that energy to Jesus. If you have only been listening to a pastor, I’m thinking it’s time to dust off your Bible, and marinate. That is the only way to shift your focus from the everyday booboos, to God…hope. A hope for a future. A hope that He causes all things to work together for your good. A hope for eternal life.
We already know that there will be trials and tribulations in the world. What keeps us grounded, and hopeful is marinating in God, being flavoured by Him, because keeping it real, all that He is, is the sauce.
Here is a lil’ groovy tune to set your week off right…enjoy 🙂
Happy monyaaaaaaaay!
xoxo
Mel.
Image:- @pinterest
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