February 10, 2009 Morning Journal

Good morning, Jesus! I hope Your day is off to a good start. I wonder: how many people—like me—wake up, tell You what their needs for the day are, read a scripture passage or two, say they love You, then go on about the day, just expecting You to take care of things? Oh yeah, it’s nice to know You are in charge and to leave my cares with You while I busy myself doing stuff. Until. Until I start thinking I can’t wait for You to respond so I begin to take matters into my own hands, tending to mess them up, and then realizing, duh, I really didn’t communicate with You after all. I put as much into my “devotion time” as I put into my weight loss attempts. Yep, I check the scale almost every morning, not liking what I see, and determine to do better, to exercise in some fashion (like I exercise my faith—if my mood is right), to pay better attention to what I eat (if I’m distracted, I tend not to eat-just as I tend to not focus on You throughout the day). I think that I’ll drink more water to keep my body flushed out (just like I’ll determine to drink of the Living Water). I’ll also leave the scale with a firm push to put it in its place—where it can’t be seen—because it didn’t change me overnight (just as I put my Bible back on the shelf after I’ve read it and didn’t get the immediate results I desire). Then, as with my morning devotion, I walk away, keeping just enough hope alive to get me through the day.

Do I exercise? Yeah. I may walk the aisles of Wal-Mart or go to the mailbox. Hmn. In comparison, I may send a quick encouraging email to someone. Do I keep the bad foods away? For a bit, but then usually cram something else in. Does this compare to my reading habits? I’ll read secular books then cram something “spiritual” like Blue Like Jazz or The Shack into my library. Do I drink more water? Yeah; each time I go to the bathroom I’ll down a cup full into my mouth. I guess this is about equal to my perpetual uplifting calendars that I read each morning, the “Christian” email forwards received and/or sent, and perhaps even the morning devotional that Steve and I read (since the morning cup of water tends to be my biggest drink). Maybe I’ll throw in some 106.9 radio or put some Contemporary Christian music on. Oh yeah, I am so full of the Living Water.

Pardon me while I choke.

Oh yeah: about that scale. Do I check it out more that once a day? Sure. Just like I take my Bible out more than once. Can’t You tell I really want to change?