After a tough week of making decisions, you agree to go out to dinner with
your wife. “Where do you want to go?” “I don’t know, what are you hungry
for?” And after ten minutes, you both agree on a dinner destination, and then
it is are we riding or driving? Off to dinner, hungrier than ever, you approach
the hostess, “how many in your party? I have a table now, about 15 minutes for a
booth.” So tonight you table it, and the waitress arrives, “what will you have
to drink?” After both agreeing on water, she leaves you to peruse the menu, and
returns ten minutes later, with your water, “are you ready to order?” You have
been, so grab at the chance, hungrier than ever. Wifey decides, “do you want
salad or soup?” “What kind of soup?” “No, I’ll have salad, what kind of
dressing do you have?” You’re next, so get ready. “I’ll have the roast beef,
with mashed and gravy, broccoli, salad with honey mustard, and a roll.” “Brown
or white gravy?” And with your answer, she is off.....
After gorging on the salads, “do you want any crushed pepper?” “Do you need
any more water?” You push your plates away, full. “Anyone for dessert?” “No,
we’re full, but what do you have.” A list of pies and cakes follow, “is that
apple or apple crisp?” “Dutch apple,” and so you agree to split a piece. “Do
you want it ala mode?” No, just pie thanks, and off she goes again. After
eating your pie, “any night cap or coffee?” “No, just the check please,” and
off she goes, still again. The check arrives, and you go to pay, “cash or
charge, we don’t accept checks.” Does anyone any more? As you wait for the
credit card receipt, you start to figure a tip, add it in, sign and go. Being
greeted as you leave by the manager, “how was everything? Will there be
anything else?” You restrain yourself from asking him “would you please get our
car,” and two hours later, it’s “do you want to watch TV?” “I don’t know,
what’s on....” Falling asleep, exhausted, only to admit later the next morning,
all I really wanted was a burger and a milkshake. “Do you want fires with
that,” ringing in your ears....
What you thought would be a simple evening out, turned into a major
decision making process. We go out to eat to relax, to let someone else wait on
us, and usually have a pretty good idea of what we want, until we get there.
And the menu appears....to many in Christ, the same thing happens to us. We
come to Jesus, we don’t want to go to hell, and then hell on earth begins. We
aren’t told by the pastor with the pretty hair that to know Jesus is to know
suffering, and that we will have tribulation. We have enough problems in our
life, we don’t need God adding more, or so we begin to think. But as we suffer,
from a minor inconvenience to a major catastrophe, we are told “be of good
cheer, for I have overcome the world,” from Jesus, but now we have to choose,
Jesus or or old ways. Neither one may look promising, Jesus and suffer as he
did, or like a dog returning to his vomit, our old ways. The last thing we
think of is heaven, maybe the reason we came to Christ in the first place, and
when we cannot see heaven, we are willing to go to hell, just to get by for
now. Some well meaning person tells you to read God’s promises, the tribulation
one is never mentioned, and soon your new life in Christ is slipping through
your fingers. Not what you signed up for, but really exactly what you signed up
for. For in these situations, you get to see, a side of him that safe
Christians never know, or even hear about. We are overcomers in Jesus, yet many
turn away, rather enjoying a good meal now, than a banquet later. While some
look to do good and impress God with medals, he will look to see the scars we
received by serving him. It is the trials that deepen us in him, the medals
stay here when we go.
In a world where wine and diamonds may be a girl’s best friends, we forget
it takes pressure to turn the grapes into a wine. And time. A diamond is
formed from coal under pressure, we want the end result, don’t think so, give
your wife a piece of coal for her finger. Or ask the waitress for a bunch of
grapes, you’ll make your own juice. You’ll see another side of pressure...But
when it is all said and done, we need these forms of tribulation to grow in
grace. To be formed under pressure, to be turned into something, or someone of
value. But we are never to have fear, for it will alter our faith. “We can do
all things in Christ that strengthens me,” not on our own, or by ourselves. So
he tells us to “cast our cares on him, because he cares for us.” No magic
formula, no magic teaching or prayer. No book to read, course to take, or
sermon to repeat. Only Jesus. Those of us who have seen adversity know this to
be true. If you haven’t, you will. Remember, all you need is found in Jesus
Christ. And if someone asks “will you need anything else,” calmly remind them
you have all you need in Jesus. He only comes one way, ala mode.....it’s been a
pleasure to serve you.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com