Of Beef and Graffiti

Yes, that's right--beef and graffiti.

John Williams was a missionary in the South Pacific islands, and frequently traveled. He came back to Rarotonga with sheep and cows from Tahiti. He and the other missionaries were quite excited as a cow was killed and the wives set out to recreate a traditional English meal of roast beef. When it was complete, John took pains to cut thick slices for everyone-though he noticed  as he did so that the smell was less than desirable.

After a few minutes of eating, Sarah Buzacott burst into tears. "All this time I've been longing for roast beef, and I don't like it!" she said. "The flavor is too strong. What kind of barbarian have I become that I don't like roast beef?" Her husband Aaron added that he too disliked it, though he wasn't going to say anything. It turned out nobody liked the meat, and it was fed to the cats.

 It is often the same with us. As the LORD lifts us up, He leads us in a different path. A lot of us, after a time, look down memory lane, and pine for the things which we laid aside. Some of us have found that when we go back to those apparently teeming fountains, they are quite dry and unsatisfying.

When I was younger, I was more or less a product of my school environment, and I had developed a taste for well-done graffiti. I used to use a website where you could create digital graffiti. As time passed, I realized it wasn't right, and stopped doing it. I didn't do it for a few years-I had no desire to. Then one night as I looked back on my past, I seemed to remember those things as bringing me great joy, and I was angry that I "couldn't" do it. "I'm going to do it. I'll like it. It'll be fun," I said determinedly, and went to the site. After a few minutes, I wasn't feeling the warm feelings I expected to. I felt just as down as before, and knew this wasn't going to do anything for me. I repented, and haven't been on there since.

So I hope that all of you who are longing after the flesh pots of Egypt, missing what is lost, won't do that anymore. Rest assured that those feelings are nothing more than delusionary, and temporary at that-at least, if we don't give in to them. There are joys unspeakable awaiting us if only we will keep our eyes fixed on GOD.  "Set your affection on things above, not on things of earth" is the counsel of Colossians 3:2. Let us do this, looking straight forward, and not back. Remember too, that if we don't pledge our all to heavenly things, we won't be any benefit to heaven. "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of GOD." Luke 9:62.

Blessings,
Adelaide