I love to eat.
My teammates and I have been joking this week about our “spiritual” gifts — sleeping, sweating and such. Well, mine may be eating. As a kid, I only ould eat chicken fingers and pizza, but I have become a lover of mosts foods.
I say “most,” not all, because this week has begun to stretch my stomach’s preferences. The first day was Latin American themed, and it was awesome: We ate rice and beans and hot sace for lunch and chicken tacos with salsa heavy on the cilantro for dinner.
The next morning we ate noodle soup for breakfast. Well, that’s what it looked like in the serving dishes, but the chef informed us that there were “other Asian ingredients” in it. Those Asian ingredients? Chunks of fish. I’ve never had fish noodle soup, especially not for breakfast.
The interesting aspect of training camp isn’t so much the food, even though it is obscure. The interesting aspect — if you’re willing to accept it — is fullness and contentment. Portion sizes here are like appetizers to me, and the food isn’t always flavorful; and yes, I am hungry; and yes, we talk about Cookout and Chic-fil-A often; and yes, on July 4th we had a group praying for hamburgers for dinner.
But no, we are not in need.
We aren’t in need like the 15 million children who die of hunger each year. We aren’t thirsty like the one billion who today don’t have access to drinkable water. And we aren’t thirsty for living water either. We each have found fullness in Christ.Â
During the week, we have worshipped and danced and laughed and cried and stood on furniture and yelled and stayed up late and woken up early. We have been freed of the things we are slaves to — like food — and filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
We love being full.
