Cheez Whiz and a Bible

It’s been a while since I put my passion for Jesus into words. It’s been a while since I polished my praise for Him. It’s been a while since I ministered the way I love Him and who He is present in my life. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I’ve paused my public voice to soak in His personal voice; paused processing life so I could breathe. Ever been there? 

Do you pause processing anything while you’re busy doing everything? The physical pace takes up the emotional push. One day you need to figure out your fight, so you pause it all. Life is pretty full in our world. Do you ever wonder what someone else has truly been asked to cope with? Do you ever wonder if it’s the same thing you’ve been asked to do? There are days I can conquer the curveballs, then there are days I can’t conquer my own socks. I’ve come to believe every human soul can live this life with strength and courage. Living our best life comes when we choose to fill up in the well of Christ. 

Living our best life comes when we use everything we’ve got in ravaging hunger for heaven and choose to fill up in the well of Christ. When we need to, we push pause so He can reposition our praise, our courage, our strength, and our hope. What does a loving God do while He’s repositioning our life tools? What does a loving God do while we’re paused? He works on our dreams. He pours compassion on our rest. He repositions our need for love and fills it up with His love. God, reposition my heart. God reposition me. 

Contents of a Simple Life

A few weeks ago my family was picking up food at a local take-out restaurant. I was tired from a day of errands.  I waited in the car while my husband and daughter went to collect our food. A car pulled up next to me and an elderly man slowly got out of the car, ensuring his rickety cane was faithfully holding him up. He wore old green pants; traveled, brown shoes; and had a hefty white beard. As he began to head for the restaurant’s take-out line, I noted the contents of his tattered khaki-colored car. 

In the front seat there was a half-eaten bag of low-salt tortilla chips, a can of Cheez Whiz, and an old tattered black Bible. I smiled. The contents demonstrated the appearance of a simple life. I thought to myself: That’s what you need in this life, Cheez Whiz and your Bible! I wondered what his story was and why his Bible was tattered. I wondered how old he was and whether he lived alone. I wondered if he used the mop in the back seat himself or if he had someone help him with day-to-day necessities. 

Whatever the case, he drew my attention, and I felt humbled observing  the belongings as he ordered dinner. He was old enough to have lived a long life. How many pauses had he taken in his journey? From the looks of his Cheez Whiz, he’d paused enough to find joy in simple things. From the looks of his Bible, he’d paused often to be repositioned in Christ. I found myself praying for him that night, asking to be like him in the journey of my life. No fancy car. No fancy cane. Very fancy walk with God and a used-up Bible in the front seat of life. God, reposition my heart. God, reposition me. 

Pausing Our Hearts

I love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul. I don’t know what’s next in this life, what’s next in my dreams or in this world to come. I don’t know how many pauses I’ll need to take. I need to pause my heart often to appreciate the hearts of others. I need to pause my heart often so I can absorb His. Remember this, if you, too, are saying: “I love the Lord my God with all my tired heart and soul.” You have the strength and courage to live this life. Live it all out. Use everything you’ve got in ravaging hunger for heaven. You’ve got a loving God that will refill it all. Cherish the pauses along the way. Cherish the compassionate rest that happens in the pause. Cherish the enduring love that happens in the pause. Cherish the gentle voice of grace you hear in the pause. Cherish being repositioned in Christ. 

God, reposition my heart. God, reposition me. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30, NIV).^[i]

^* Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright ã 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.