Bowing to the God of Food

I usually stay away from making any kind of Lent commitment; probably because I don’t have much self-discipline and don’t do very well in keeping them.  I wasn’t planning on doing it this year either, but I had a bit of an epiphany about 3 weeks ago.

My job is mundane.  Actually, that last sentence was an understatement.  Let me put it this way: I’m your classic male non-multi-tasker and I can do my job, listen intently to a Tim Keller sermon (his sermons are the intellectual equivalent of eating prime rib) and probably eat a snack all at the same time.  It doesn’t pay well either, although I’m thankful just to be employed in this economy.  I’m also somewhat frustrated at the lack of clear direction that Michelle and I have for the future.  Occasionally, it’s all just a bit much.

On one of these particular days where I just couldn’t handle it, I left on my lunch break and went to a nearby grocery store.  I was pretty stinking hungry because I probably hadn’t had anything of substance to eat so I probably committed a handful of moving violations on the 3 mile trek.  When I got there, I had one clear thought: GET FOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDD!

Now at this point, I experienced a strange phenomena.  It was kind of like an out of body experience where I was able to have a clear view of what was going on in my head.  It wasn’t pretty.  If someone else had been able to see what I was seeing they would have every right to think that I was psychotic.  I was angry, frustrated, stressed and all I wanted to do was eat; preferably something that tasted good no matter how bad it was for me.  The result of my shopping trip: a Hungry Man microwaveable meal of chicken tenders and cheese fries, a bag of Krispy Kreme mini-krullers, and a Monster energy drink that’s that’s basically a non-alcoholic version of a White Russian coffee energy drink.

If you’re able to have an objective view of those events, then it easily qualifies as one of those “it might be time to reassess some things about your life” moments.  God graciously allowed me to see it that way. 

So for Lent, I made some commitments related to food and eating.  Not to show God my commitment to Him.  Not to test my will and self-discipline.  I’m doing it because I want to see where food shows up on the totem pole of my life.  How much do I look to it to calm me when I’m stressed or to cheer me up when I’m feeling down?  In other words, how often do I look to food to give me the fulfillment that only God can ultimately give.  How often do I take something good, like food, and make it ultimate, or God-like?

So far it’s gone well.  I’m learning more and more about the place food has had in my life and what place it should have in the future.  Still, those mini-krullers are insanely good.