MARCH 31, 2012~~ REFLECTIONS ON JOSHUA AND PANCAKES...?...
I missed several days of blogging recently, but as I continued to read the book of Joshua, I did feel some important words stepped out of the pages. One verse that hit me like my made from scratch pancakes on an empty stomach was Joshua 22:5. I used to make pancakes from scratch for Michael when we first got married. Although this seemed like a wonderful thing for a newlywed wife to do for her husband, in this case, it wasn't. My recipe apparently lacked the balance of the ingredients, and although they looked edible, and going down they tasted fine, I would say good, they sat like a rock and we felt the heaviness of them in our stomachs. Ha! Ha! Why do I tell you that? Well, the following verse although very appetizing, sounds so easy and sounds so much like something we would WANT to do..even Strive to do...wouldn't we just eat up every opportunity to "keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you; to love the Lord your God, (oh, that is easy, right!) to walk in all his ways, (mmm, did he say ALL?) to obey his commands, (I got this! There are only 10, right? and I'm no murderer and Of course I'm not a thief!--my momma taught  me better than that!) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all of your...(ouch, here it comes...) heart and (yikes...is he gonna use that word again?) ALL your soul. (lump in my stomach--like the pancakes...gulp.)
Why when I have been blessed to have been raised in a Christian home from a child do I find myself sighing at the final words of that verse? Why do I feel like I serve him but without ALL of my heart and ALL of my soul? I could list a number of excuses. mmmm, I'm so busy! It's just our culture, we are sidetracked in so many directions! Don't make me go on.  I could list the truths...I'm lazy, I put other things first, I am afraid to go wholeheartedly forward because I can't do this alone and sometimes the people around me are not yet on the same page as I am (or are they and I am not allowing them to shine because of my attitude?)...mmm excuses. Lame.
Well, I could stop right there because the words are clear. I could condemn myself and remain unchanged, or I can choose to move forward each day reaching to put more of my heart into my relationship with God and more of my soul into serving him. That is the beauty of God. He always forgives, always takes me back, always gives me another chance to follow. So,
Did I mention that the verse starts out with .." BUT BE VERY CAREFUL TO..." I have since found a recipe for pancakes that delights from box (that's right, box!) to body. They are truly light and fluffy, and my family feels satisfied, but not sick, after eating them. Each day I am blessed to wake in this world I am given the opportunity to start anew and no matter how many mistakes or neglects I have from the past...I can choose (and I do) to go to the perfect recipe--THE BOOK) and to move forward. Each triumph is satisfying.