Sleep on This: The Bread Chronicles—a postscript
Good evening, friend:
I know, I know—we were wrapping up this bread thing last week. But Cyndi gave me an idea. She pointed out that in John 6, where Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life,” he concludes by saying, “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
“Notice,” she said, “he doesn’t say ‘nibble.’ He says, ‘Feed!’ ‘Feast on it.’ ‘Consume it!’” Actually, she’s more right than she knows. The actual Greek for “feed” means “chew” or “gnaw on!”
When I pulled my first loaf out of the stove, I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into it! I tried patiently to let it cool, but the smell…the sight…the thought of slathering a big chunk of that hot sourdough with butter and scarfing it down…I could hardly hold myself back. In fact, I did NOT hold myself back. Several times I did not hold back.
By contrast, Cyndi limited herself to morsels…tidbits. She restrained herself—admirably. And she reminding me, gently, of the consequences of my dining decisions.
But it was pointless. It wasn’t until about half a loaf later that I tapped the brakes…and by then, the damage was done! But wow, what a tasty misdemeanor!
“But,” Cyndi pointed out, “what you did is really what Jesus is encouraging us to do! We aren’t supposed to nibble. We aren’t supposed to show restraint when it comes to partaking of Jesus. We are to FEED on him. Hungrily. Maybe even greedily!”
I think Cyndi is right. We are too content to nibble away at the edges of our relationship with Jesus…rather than to plunge in with abandon. When was the last time you really feasted upon the Lord?
Lord, as I lay me down to sleep, would you instill in me a deeper hunger for you? Create in me pangs, longings for a richness of relationship that will never be satisfied with spiritual tidbits. Free me to feast upon you with abandon! Amen.