Archive for March, 2009

Have you seen Chariots of Fire? Do you remember when Eric Liddell was defending his decision to go to the Olympics to his sister, who wanted him to return to the mission field immediately? He said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

That’s how I felt today as I stood among a half dozen African American women and a couple others and demonstrated how to prepare a stir-fry “off-hand”.

It was a long day–I woke up late, ran to the office to pick up some danglers, ran out to Kawasaki to set up an educational display there, ran back home for the materials for this afternoon’s presentation, ran back to the office, ran to a presentation on diabetes, ran back to the office. You get the picture. But the last item on my agenda completely made my day.

Renee and I have been working on this “Gathering” for a couple of weeks now, reserving the kitchen at the Salvation Army and gathering together some folks to participate. I’ve been preparing a handout and getting together my cooking supplies. And today, we had our gathering.

I’d been off-kilter all day, but I was off-kilter no longer. Now I was right at home. I was where I was meant to be. Maybe God created me for a purpose other than teaching people the practical skills of eating healthy–but He gave me that passion, and when I exercise it, I feel His pleasure.

I’ve often mused, in past weeks, that surely I was created for a higher purpose than keeping up with the dishes and the laundry. I’ve stated that there must be something more to life than the day to day monotony of school and work. “This can’t be all there is!” I’ve cried. But today, as we gathered, I could only think “If this is all there is, I’d be content.”

Because when I teach people how to cook, I feel His pleasure. Because when I have the opportunity to help a community be healthier, I feel His pleasure. That makes it all worthwhile.

We were three white women, six black women, and a lone black man. Food brought us together around a table. Some cut, some mixed, some just tasted. Food was a common ground. One woman discovered stir-fry for the first time in her life. Another tasted water chestnuts for the first time. One woman decided that low-sodium soy sauce was just as good as the regular. Another woman discovered that brown rice is not as bad as she thought. They couldn’t stop telling me how impressed they were with how easy it was to cook a stir-fry–and it was healthy too! There couldn’t be a doubt in anyone’s mind: this wasn’t just information for them to sit on, they were going to use this stuff.

They suggested I write a cookbook. They were nice beyond belief. They made me feel great about myself and about my dreams. Their approval was fantastic–but far beyond that, I felt the approval of God. ‘Cause this afternoon, in the Salvation Army kitchen, I felt His pleasure.

Wanna try making an Off-hand Stir-fry of your own? Check out my handout.

II Thessalonians 3:11 says “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.”

Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing. There’s someone, walking about, bringing disorder wherever she goes, not working in her own home, not working outside her own home, but determined to insert herself into everyone else’s homes.

The verse right before it, II Thessalonians 3:10, says “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

So she’s not working. We’ve established that one. But she’s eating–voraciously. Not physically–it’s not like she’s going over to people’s houses and insisting that they feed her dinner. No, she’s eating emotionally and spiritually–going over to people’s houses or calling them on the phone and slurping up every spare ounce of emotional and spiritual energy they have.

And then she vomits and sucks some more.

II Thessalonians 3:12 says “Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”

I wish I knew that I could apply this verse to that situation. I wish I could be certain that I could just tell her to go home, find a job (or even just start taking care of your children!), and learn to be emotionally and spiritually self-sufficient.

II Thessalonians 3:13 says, “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”

I’m definitely not doing very well on this one. Of course, it’d help if I knew whether continuing to try in this relationship were indeed GOOD. It feels a lot more like casting pearls before swine.

Can’t I just do as II Thessalonians 3:14 says?
“And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.”

I mean, I could handle a good long vacation from her. I could use a bit of time without her company. In fact, I can think of a half a dozen women who’ve already been sucked dry and could really benefit from some time away from her spiritual bulimia.

The hard part is II Thessalonians 3:15, “Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

She is a sister–a fellow believer in Christ. But it’s very hard to think of her as a sister when she’s acting like a leach. My little antibodies are bristling–wanting so hard to attack her–she’s destroying the body. Except that she is a part of the body. How can that be?

I don’t know how to deal. I don’t know what to say.

I doubt you know either.

But, please, please pray. For me. For the many women who’ve been emotional exhausted by this woman. For the woman. Pray for wisdom. For humility. For grace. Pray that she’d stop–oh, I don’t even know what to ask in regard to her. I guess, just groan for me, for us, please.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26