Staring at the plate of cooked carrots, I knew that the pile in front of me must pass the portal of my mouth and be INSIDE of me—very soon. “Eat it!” I hear my mother say, a little too cheerfully. “It’s GOOD for you!”
My mother and my sainted grandmother (especially) were always wanting me to ingest things that were “good for me.” I was never a picky eater—maybe that was the problem. From my earliest childhood, mealtime was my favorite. I LOVED to eat. So much so that Mom kept threatening me … “You don’t want me to have to buy you Chubette clothes, DO YOU?”
My Gramma could make the most amay-zing treats. Eierkuchen—a crispy pastry puff, cradling a small lake of buttery maple syrup—a whole one just for me. Hungarian Coffeecake—balls of sweet dough, rolled in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, smooshed together, baked, and flipped—oh goodness! There’s a part of my brain that, even today, starts wiggling with excitement when I remember that delicious smell! When Gramma would come to our house, her treats were all I wanted!
But, of course, mealtime couldn’t be all sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice. There had to be a healthy balance with foods that were “good for me.” But, honestly, that phrase was all I needed to hear, to want to hate whatever vile thing they put in front of me. What was “good for me” was bad enough to have to smell it—but I was expected to EAT it!! Chopped broccoli. Cole slaw. Fried liver. Some nasty things that my cruel mother forced me to eat during my childhood, you wouldn’t believe—and my adult brain has mercifully deleted them from my memory.
However, the idea of what is “good for me” has oddly morphed over the years. It’s become much MORE important to me than when I was a kid. When you’re young, you typically don’t care, but when you’re older, it’s all you think about. You CARE less about what tastes good and more about what IS good. You even find yourself doing things that don’t feel good at all, but that you know ARE good. Consistently. After all, time is of the essence.
I do all the cooking now, and I only make what we like. Wonder of wonders! What we now LIKE (with very few exceptions) are ALL foods that are “good for us.” The things I loathed as a kid, I now absolutely LOVE, albeit cooked with a bit more seasoning and flavor. (Except the fried liver—still can’t do that. And now that they’ve found that eating liver is probably BAD for you after all, I feel vindicated.)
I find that I am changed. I am a different person than my younger self. I not only tolerate, but I hunger for what is “good for me.” What I hated, I now love—what I used to love doesn’t appeal to me anymore. There’s been a change of “seasons” in my life, and I can’t help wondering if that change wouldn’t have done me MORE good … if it had come sooner.
As the seasons change, there’s a sense of transition. Our days are not the same as they were, but we’re not just going through change, but we’re advancing—progressing. We say goodbye to summer and hello to the beautiful colors of autumn. Eventually, we let the autumn go to make way for the more dazzling winter wonderland.
We KNOW that “old things (must) pass away; (for) all things to become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The things we loved, we let go, so that our hands are free to accept something new; something to love just as much—or MORE.
Transition is a learning experience. It’s not always easy, but it’s needful. And if I need it, then it’s “good for me.” It’s time to let go and to free myself to love what is good. I find this especially so in the Word of the LORD. When I was young, I hadn’t learned to love TRUTH like I do now. I have found that the more I ingest of the Scriptures, the more I WANT. In fact, it’s ALL I want.
“ALL Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable (“good for me”) for training in righteousness … so that (I, and all believers) may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMP)
- “It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” (Psalm 73:28 KJV)
- “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.” (Psalm 92:1 KJV)
- “Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good.” (Psalm 69:16 KJV)
- “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:71 KJV)
- “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” (Psalm 143:10 KJV)
Every word of God is pure—100% TRUTH. The older I get, the more I want, because every bit of it is good for ME.
Prayer: Change my heart, oh God—give me a thirst for righteousness and a hunger for Your Word. Help me to understand what I read so that I may digest it, and be changed by it, from the inside out—more everyday. AMEN.
