 Every child knows what it’s like to be home alone. Every student knows what it’s like for a teacher to leave the classroom. And every employee knows what it’s like when the boss isn’t around. In those moments, our first instinct is to do whatever we want. Destroy the house. Be the class clown. Send a text message. And all of that sounds fun—unless, of course, the one we fear suddenly returns. And we get caught. So, with that in mind, most of us choose not to take the risk and act as if said person could return at any moment.
 I enjoy tasting samples of food. There’s something special about those tiny clear cups and miniature spoons. The portions leave much to be desired, but their purpose is to whet the appetite. Ideally, the customer enjoys the taste and seeks the actual portion.
The only way to like a certain food is to taste it first. For example, you don’t know if you like chocolate if you’ve never tasted chocolate. Appetite is a consequence of taste. There are many foods I’ve never tasted. Consequently, I don’t know if I like those foods or not. I don’t have an appetite for those foods because I’ve never tasted them in order to know how good or bad they are.  I often find myself so distracted by my responsibilities that I miss the goodness of God. As I write this, I’m sitting on my front porch. Birds sing in the background. Gigantic, puffy clouds span the blue sky. Flowers blossom. Trees stand tall. This is God’s creation.
But as beautiful as it is outside, my inside is desperate for something more. Something genuine. Something real. I get so caught-up in this world. It’s almost like I forget about Heaven. But I don’t. Actually, I can’t. Because there’s something about me that longs for it every single moment of every single day.  As Christians, we’re called to be different. That’s a no-brainer. Don’t get drunk. Don’t have premarital sex. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t cuss. You’ve probably heard those commands. And chances are, you’ve heard them from the supposedly “good” people of the world — Christians.
Now, don’t get me wrong, those statements are true. We are, indeed, called to be different. But there’s a reason why. Most people know God’s commands, but if they don’t know the reason behind those commands, they’ll likely continue living in disobedience.  A yellow post-it note lingered in the small trash can I had just dumped. Full of excitement, I reached down and grabbed it. The message it gave couldn’t have been more relevant: “Nothing God does is ever small.”
|