There are some seasons of life where a mountain top experience with God breathes life back into our stale lungs. Do you know what I’m talking about? The spiritual crispness rejuvenates your soul and brightens your countenance just a bit. I found that experience yesterday in the most unexpected of places…sitting at my dining room table with a plate of leftover spaghetti. Yep, the environment didn’t lend itself to a glorious epiphany, mind you…some of my kids were arguing back and forth (grrr…) and I begrudgingly had just finished loading the dishwasher for the 110th time.
Before that highly anticipated first bite (I love all things Italian) however, the Holy Spirit pricked my conscience just enough, I went and grabbed my Bible. I sat down, eager to feed my face and searching for a reason to feed my soul. Since we’re being honest here, I must confess the Bible and I have not spent quite enough time with each other over the past weeks.
I lazily twirled my fork, focusing more on fumbling through the crinkling, razor-thin pages than paying attention to the amassing entanglement of noodles. I was seeking something familiar…a place where I could gain some kind of foothold in spiritual things again…something that would reignite the hunger in my soul that had faded away in the bustling pace of life.
And there it was…I plopped myself right in the middle of a conversation Paul was having with his young protégé named Timothy. His words were direct and full of imperative, engaging bits of godly wisdom on how to be a good leader and an even better man. YES, that is exactly what I needed! Before I knew it, I had devoured chapters 1 and 2, even employing the support of my four-color pen and favorite gel pens, marking the already well-worn passages. I was elated and challenged, exploring the vast disparity between who culture is programming me to be as a man versus who God is calling me to be.
Among noise and distraction, He awakened me from the apathetic, jaded husband and father I had become…over a plate of now lukewarm spaghetti. Weird, huh? It’s pretty awesome that God’s pursuit of me (and you) is not confined to some church service or encounter with a pastor, but that He chases us into the most unexpected of places.
Have you had an experience like this? Or better yet…do you NEED an experience like this? I have an extra jar of sauce and some Parmesan cheese…just sayin’
<εφημέριος><
