Surviving Chaos

I love my children but sometimes I can’t help but shake my head at some of the things that they do. Patrick, when he was growing up never was concerned about dropping food on the floor. If something dropped off his plate, we would pick it up and if we missed something, we never worried that he would go back at some later date and try consuming the fallen food.

Micah, my youngest it another story. He eats everything and anything. Whether it is something meant to be consumed or not, it finds its way into his mouth. We will be sitting at the table during a meal and he will purposely drop food off the table and retrieve it later that evening if it is not immediately picked up. But like I mentioned, he consumes anything he can get his hands on. He has wet his pallet with several deodorant sticks, some of our Kansas grown bugs, dirt, dust, books and the list goes on and on.

This morning though made me simply shake my head and ask God, “Why?”. The kids have been house bound due to the extreme heat we have been experiencing. So early this morning it was cool enough to let the boys ride their bikes for a few minutes outside. Micah found a bike helmet and placed it on his head. He looked adorable (I know, bias dad…)! A few moments later, MaryEllen came into the bathroom, where I was getting ready to go to the office, and showed me a handful of torn, chewed up material. Apparently Micah had bitten the Styrofoam lining of the bike helmet and was chewing it like tobacco. I simply look at the pile of chewed styrofoam and shook my head.

As I began to process the events of this morning I began to wonder how many times we are like Micah in our Spiritual life. We look at the empty things this world has to offer us and take a deep bite into it. We know its not food for our souls. We know its empty, but yet we dive in and take a large bite. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy…But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV).

Styrofoam, though it makes a great insulator, makes a lousy meal. What are you hungering after in this life? Are you satisfied with what this world has to offer you; empty calories and a lousy nutrients. Or are you looking for something more satisfying? If so, look to your heart and ask yourself, Whats in My diet?