Just Jesus....

Yesterday, on the Fourth of July I had the displeasure of watching Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN. About eight men and two women(who each weighed 107lbs) shoved as many hot dogs and buns in their mouths for ten minutes straight. As the competition began it quickly became apparent that there were two clear leaders in the competition, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi. These men looked like they were literally swallowing the hot dogs whole and then they would stuff the bun in their mouth drink a little water to make the bun slide down their throat. Now I don't know about you but when I add any type of liquid to a bun of any sort it just becomes a dough ball. I just can't see that sliding down my throat smoothly. Perhaps this is why at one point it looked like this Chestnut fellow was convulsing and withering about, the announcers called this his special technique of using his upper abdominal muscles to move the food down to create more room in his stomach. I just called it him looking like he had a problem. As time went on the competition intensified and the two men were neck and neck or dog and dog or something. Well with 15 seconds left they were tied and my husband exclaims "They need to shove as much in their mouths as possible because what ever is in their mouth will go towards their count." And shovel they did. It was at this time that I started gagging uncontrollably and my six year old proclaimed "That is sick" and left the room. As the bell rang to end the competition, the most horrible thing happened. Apparently, Takeru Kobayashi stuffed so much bun and hot dog down his throat that he reached his limit and he started spewing the contents of his mouth and stomach between his fingers for all the world to see. It was so gross and they kept replaying for our viewing pleasure, perhaps it was for dramatic effect. Poor guy he didn't even win. Joey Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in ten minutes. So here sat the other guy, former champion, with throw up betwixt his fingers and on his shirt for the world to see. I can't imagine this felt too good, mentally as well as physically. Of course, Chestnut proclaimed he would eat another hot dog if he needed to.

Watching this I couldn't help but think of our society today. We are virtually in our own hot dog eating contest every day. We shove in more and more into our lives. Sometimes it is hard for us and we wither about trying to get more in. I think that people think that more is better. "Look at all I can do, all that I've got, and I can do more, get more if I want to." I think of it as the "Super Parent/Person" syndrome. For some reason in the last twenty years or so we have had the idea of more is better shoved down our throats like a big hot dog. Frankly, I am more and more getting choked on the idea of it. There are days when I crave the simpler times when people wouldn't be in such a rush, where it seemed like everyone cared about one another, and where everyone wasn't out to prove something. That is basically what it all boils down to, if I do more and have more then it must prove that I am someone, I am a success. In the last year I have found out that kind of thinking is so off the mark. Success to me is and would be if I am a person who serves the Lord. If someone looks at me and thinks "I want some of what she has" and they ask what it is and I can say "Jesus". Not money, not weight loss, not some magic pill-- Just Jesus. I want to be a light for the Lord so that my family and strangers will want that instead of meaningless things. Every day I need to keep this in mind because like everyone else I am human and I sin and get off track. But that is the wonderful thing about my Lord every time I realize these things he is there with open arms. I can imagine him saying "There you are my daughter, I forgive you and I missed you. Let's get back to work." People have it so wrong and I hope they realize it soon before they are standing there with life spewing through their fingers and a mess on their shirt.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And he shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4