Day-32: If it fits through a straw, Jesus loves me!

Yesterday, my family got together at my brothers house, to celebrate his third daughter's first birthday.  It is always great to see family, the only serious issue is that the events are always stocked with taste hole stuffing food. This particular gathering featured: homemade cookies, gooey-sugar-caramel-bar thingies, a cream cheese dip with Greek salad toppings, Doritos, kosher dill pickles and a Jimmy John party platter. If this gathering would have been around Day-10 - not eating solids would have been a challenge and I might have caved.  

Over the course of conversation with my siblings, which is always an event of its own, we talked about Lent and how I've been doing with it. We talked some about the spiritual aspect, the weight loss and my silly self-imposed rules.  A little levity oversimplified those rules: "If it fits through a straw, Jesus loves me!"

The fact is - Jesus loves all of us, no matter what I eat, drink or do, he will always love me. Jesus' love is unconditional, and my actions cannot increase or decrease that love. The only things my actions can do or not do is glorify and exemplify that love.  As I've said before, one of the fundamental ideas behind Christianity is to spread it to others, the way we act helps to spread the love of Jesus.  A  straw is not necessary for Jesus' love, but the straw is a good conversation starter, for sharing his love.

Example: When ordering chicken soup broth at the bar later that night, I explained to the waitress what I was doing, she replied "Wow, you must really love Jesus." It was cool because I did get to gleefully acknowledge my love for Jesus, and briefly chat about the subject as she checked in on our table.   

That's a witness, not a stereotypical, "here's a Bible, read it, Jesus loves you and you need him witness" but a real life witness.  It is the type of opportunity that we are often presented with and need to capitalize on. That waitress may not remember me, but she will remember "that guy" who wasn't eating solids and wanted broth.  One can never be certain that the seed with take, but putting it in the ground is the correct first step. 


Random Notes: Started the day at 192 Lbs, but the soup broth and "Mud Slide Milkshake" made the calorie count unclear.