OUT TO PASTOR: It was a belly-binge kind of day

It’s not often that a day goes my way. Occasionally, I have a day that focuses on my desires and me.

It was a Monday evening right after supper and the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were watching TV.

“Oh,” my wife said, “by the way, the girls and I are going to go thrift store shopping all day tomorrow.”

At first, I was a little stunned. I wasn’t quite sure why she was telling me this. It’s not like she needs my permission to go thrift store shopping as long as she doesn’t take my truck. But, being the veteran husband I am, I did not ask any questions.

The next morning as we were finishing breakfast my wife commented, “Since I’m going thrift store shopping today – you are on your own.”

Then, she said, “You will have to get your own lunch.”

I almost said, but I didn’t, “What did you say?” But I knew if I did I would get an expansive answer which would take time and I did not want to waste any time.

Trying to hold back a smile I said, “That’s all right. I’m sure I can take care of my lunch.”

With that, she joined the girls and they went off on their thrift store shopping spree.

I had to sit down a little bit and try to catch my breath. Here I was, with the whole day before me to do as I please. Believe me, those days do not come often enough, at least for me.

As excited as I was about the day, I had to sit back and prepare my own To-Do-List. I got that from my wife. I wanted to put down everything that I could do today.

After finishing my list, I looked it over and then a thought captured my imagination.

What about eating? Did my wife say that I had to take care of my own lunch? Yes, she did! So now, my focus was on what should I eat today?

Without wasting any more time, I got to the neighborhood Publix to do some shopping. I was going to buy everything that I liked and nobody was going to stop me.

There was one major item missing in my shopping cart. That nasty word starting with the letter V. My whole day was going to be spent without eating any vegetables whatsoever. I was so excited.

Looking at the cart as I went through the cashier made me hungrier than I’ve ever been before.

On the way home, and this was before lunch, I stopped at McDonald’s and bought a hot fudge sundae. All this shopping made me hungry, so I thought it would make me happy. And boy, did that sundae make me happy.

All the way home I was singing, “I did it my way.” I was gloriously out of tune, but it certainly made me happy to sing it.

I got home and started my belly-binge day. I didn’t even go to the office, I spent all my time munching on this delicacy and crunching on that delicacy and just enjoying myself.

Then a thought hit me. If I want to stay out of trouble, and I do, I better make sure I eat all these recently purchased groceries. If my wife finds out, I may be in trouble.

That was the excuse I used to completely demolish all the food I had just purchased.

As I was crunching the last bite of my belly-binge delicacies, I begin to realize that I was stuffed. I’ve never eaten so much in my life. I cleaned up the table and the kitchen and threw away all the evidence and slowly walked to my chair to rest.

Sitting in the chair, I began to realize how stuffed I really was. I leaned back, however, smiled as wide as I could smile and congratulated myself for taking so good care of myself.

I must have dozed for a moment because the next thing I knew my wife came into the house, the thrift store shopping day was over.

“I didn’t know if you had enough to eat today,” she said with a big smile on her face, “so I brought you a sub for supper.”

I thought of a Scripture, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works” (Ecclesiastes 9:7).

Nothing nourishes me more than serving God. When serving God he will take care of all my nourishment.

Dr. James L. Snyder, pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage in Ocala, FL. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net . The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.