Here I Am ... Again

I am an over-eater. Weight has always been an issue for me. In the 1970’s I lost almost 100 pounds. But if you made a graph of my weight loss … and weight gain … it would look like a road map of hills.  

And here I am … again.  

I’ve made it through the holidays (so far) with a loss of five pounds. But before I pat myself on the back, I’ve been at this weight before … many times. Even if I lose ten more pounds, that’s still just one of those valleys I’ve gone through before the chart goes up again.  

And so … one more time … I determine to get to a deeper valley … one I haven’t been to since the 1990’s.  

Sometimes living a Christian life is just like that.  

A few weeks ago, Chuck Swindoll asked, “Are you spending more time reading the newspaper than you are reading the Bible?” I had to say “yes.” I really enjoy reading the USA Today, so I subscribed … and it came in the mail. Convicted by my “yes” answer, I canceled my subscription.  

I’ve purchased a CD study series on Proverbs from Insight for Living. Proverbs is full of wisdom and practicality. But it will be up to me to make the time in my schedule to sit down and actually listen and study.  

I’ve been here before.  

It seems so simple to just eat less. And some of you reading these words loudly agree. You’ve never struggled with your weight. But I know there are some of you who understand exactly what I’m saying. It’s so much more than just opening your mouth and putting food in.  

It’s the same with growing as a Christian. It isn’t a complicated plan to make time in your day for time in the Bible. But when it comes right down to it, it’s such a struggle to find that quiet time … that place alone … where you can focus and listen and learn.  

I can’t say I hunger (physically) for food. But I do hunger for the Word. I want to ingest it and have it become a part of me. I desire to reach a deeper valley with God. Just as eating requires an opening of my mouth … reading the Word and understanding it requires an opening of my heart and mind.  

And here I am … again.  

“Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.” John 6:35 (MSG)