Self-Denial

Lessons from the Kitchen

Having no cook top or oven for weeks on end is an interesting place to be.  We have been getting by cooking on our barbecue and eating lots of salads.  At first it was fun, like camping, but it's beginning to wear thin.  Actually, what's wearing thin is my willingness to be creative and make do with what we have.  That means lately we have been skipping meals or eating out more.  Both have taken a toll.  Sure, I've lost a couple of pounds but at the expense of healthy eating.  And lack of healthy eating has impacted my energy level and overall sense of well-being.

It's fascinating what creatures of habit we are.  When my normal routine gets interrupted ~ even if I'm the one who initiated the disruption ~ I go along with less for awhile but it doesn't satisfy me for long.  I want my normal back, yet when the project is done, my normal will be way better than before. 

Self-denial.  It's a good thing.  Deny myself the conveniences of the old kitchen in order to reconstruct a new and improved one.

The same holds true in my faith walk.  God calls me daily to set myself/my wants/my desires aside and allow Him to do His work in and through me.  And if I willingly give Him regular access, He will even reconstruct a new and improved me in the process ~ kind of like my new kitchen only better.