With Abandon

One of my favorite things to do is take my Bible study to Tony's Pizza and grab a slice of tomato, spinach, and ricotta pie to eat while I read. One slice only. That's all I'll allow myself.

When I was a little girl, my brother took great delight in calling me fat, tub of lard, Crisco, etc...over and over again. He's made fun of me mercilessly until I believed what he said about me and from then on, I've had a love hate relationship with food. I love to eat, but I hate the way I feel after, even if I haven't eaten that much. I'm working on it with the Lord and He's brought me a long way toward shedding that burden, praise Him!!

Anyway, I was at Tony's doing my study and I noticed a tiny pigtailed girl standing in a booth near mine, holding two slabs of pizza and chowing down. She would take a bite and streeeeetch out the mozzarella and chew, then take another bite and streeeetch out the mozzarella and chew. I was fascinated by the utter lack of concern and absolute enjoyment of the moment. She was loving that piece of pizza and I, who had cut up my one slice in small pieces to make it last, felt sad. Did I ever enjoy life with that kind of abandon? If someone watched me eat would they see pleasure or the weight of guilt already settling over me?

I may never stand in a booth clutching two slices of pizza and stretching the cheese as far as it will go, but with the Lord's help, I will abandon the feelings of guilt associated with food and will be able to eat, with ABANDON, the wonderful things the Lord has provided.

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.