LOVE/Hate

It’s freezing outside. Literally. The weather man told me, but even if he didn’t, I’d know it is really cold today. I would know because my house gets chilly on the inside and a calm cold settles over everything like frosty breath. When I’m snuggled under my sheets and feather comforter, it is a gorgeous kind of cold that persuades me to shimmy deeper into my sheets and stay there.

But something drives me to leave my warm, cozy bed.

Right in the perfect moment of warmth and happiness (not unlike the old Downy Snuggle Bear commercials) I realized I was out of coffee, coffee creamer and Splenda.  

That’s bad for lots of reasons. Unleaded Ginny is really no Ginny at all.

So, I got up from comfortable perfection to brave the cold to buy more coffee.

My love for caffeine deliciousness drove me to action. Extreme action, since it was freezing outside and it was 5am, and I had to drive out of my way to Wal-Mart because HEB wasn’t open yet. Not many things could have pulled me from my comfy cocoon, but DARK Starbucks Verona is one of them.

Which brings me to my point for this post: LOVE drives action.

This is slightly groundbreaking for me; I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it earlier. But around this time every year half of America goes on a diet. I’m included in that group. And every year I buy the gear, get on a program and make the half-hearted commitment to losing weight and getting healthy.

Then around Valentine’s Day I fall off the wagon. Why? Because I hate broccoli, and I also hate working out. The simple truth is I love Mexican Food and reading on the couch more than I love spinach and leg lifts.

No amount of change, commitment, determination or program is going to help me love what I hate and hate what I love. For that I need DIVINE INTERVENTION.

This is the area that changed for me. I realized that if my desires didn’t change, then I was bound for a lifetime of broken New Year’s resolutions. So, I started praying about my desires. I’ve been consistently asking for God to help me love healthy things more than unhealthy things. I’ve been asking for Him to help me love the things I hate.

This new prayer reminded me of an old prayer recorded in Mark 9. It’s the story of the father who brought his son to Jesus begging for healing. When Christ asked him if he believed he could heal his son he replied, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

My prayer is similar. “I need to change. Help me want to change.”

After further reflection I realized this prayer translates to just about everything, personal relationships, work ethic, fiscal responsibility, spiritual disciplines; we have all heard these excuses at one time or another.

Marriage: “I fell out of love.”

Working out: “I’m too tired.”

Stuff we can’t afford but want: “I deserve that.”

Bible Study and personal prayer: “I don’t have time.”

Perhaps, whenever we encounter excuses we should ask if that is an area that needs changing. Perhaps we should ask:

“Help me love the person I married.”

“Help me love making my body stronger.”

“Help me love what I already have.”

“Help me to love your Word enough to make it a priority.”

 If we prayed more for God to change our desires then, perhaps, walking in commitment wouldn’t feel like drudgery but, rather, like JOY.