This morning I’m in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC at a conference with Hubby.  As these things go, they always serve breakfast pretty early.  We are early risers at our house, but this morning, without meaning to, we slept in.  When we woke up, breakfast was over.  Hubby said he would just wait until lunch to eat.  Not me.  I don’t skip meals very well and I was really glad for that banana I had thrown into my bag.  If I skip meals, my blood sugar can drop in a hurry.  When it bottoms out I feel awful and unsteady, weak, I struggle to think clearly and the unfortunate part is, after a long time with no food I can get a little mean.  So I try really hard not to go for long periods of time without food (and my Hubby tries hard to make sure he never sees that mean side).

I have a memory seared into my mind of that mean side.  A few years back I was pregnant and the other kids were all small.  We were traveling by plane to visit family for the holidays. When kids are small you have to pack a truck load of everything….strollers, pack n play, diapers, etc, etc.  As typical of moms I was thinking of everyone else and  I didn’t pack any food for me for the trip.  It also turned out they weren’t serving anything to eat on the plane.

By the time we landed I had been so many hours without food, and felt so terrible, I was a wreck.  I told Hubby I had to get something to eat right away and the plan was to pick up our rental car and drive straight to a restaurant and feed everyone.

The little guy behind the rental car counter had no idea what he was in for when he told me he couldn’t give me a rental car……even though I had ALREADY paid for it.  I’m not telling what I said to him, but it wasn’t pretty.  Suffice to say, he quickly decided he had a rental car he could give me.  We drove immediately to a restaurant and fed the kids and as soon as I ate, the whole world looked differently, much better to me.

But when I could see clearly again, I realized how awful I had been to the poor kid behind the counter.  I’m embarrassed by that now.  I would have been mortified for anyone to know that I called myself a Christian.  If anyone blew a testimony for Christ, a chance to offer grace to another, I certainly did that day.  It’s a huge regret to me.

I don’t go for long periods of time without food.  I never want to see that monster again.  And neither does anyone else!

My faith walk isn’t unlike my physical need for food.  When I go for periods of time without with Meat of the Word of God….when I stop feasting on the Bread of Life…..skipping the “meal” of time with my Savior…..I can bottom out.  I become unsteady.  I feel awful and can’t see clearly and unfortunately I no longer have the tender heart for God and compassion toward my fellow man that makes life so much healthier.

The best way to survive hypoglycemia is to eat something nutritious, so as not to have any symptoms even appear.  The best way to combat apathy and lack of faith is to continually ingest the Truth of God so that those around us see a real Christian and God working in us.

Sometimes I’m in such a rush in the morning getting the kids to school that I’ll stop later in the morning and say, “did I eat?” I usually say this because I start to feel unsteady or can’t think clearly.  The next time you feel unsteady, weak in your faith and you can’t see clearly what’s ahead, what to do or how to proceed, ask yourself, “did I eat?”  If the answer is no, then sit down with God’s word for as long as you can.  A snack is better than nothing.

None of us eat a physical meal once a week, but we sit down for a good meal, or two, or three EVERY day.  Going to church on Sunday isn’t enough to get you through.  Sit down to a good meal of God’s word every day and taste and see that the Lord is good.

 

Photo via Visual Hunt