Old Graham Crackers and Other Gross Things

The other day I was in a mall. Specifically, I was in an old  abandoned play area in the mall. They’re super common these days – all the play equipment had been removed (due to a recent global event, I’m sure) and all that was left was a big open space of squishy ground.

When I walked by I saw this lone old crumbly graham cracker leaned up against the entrance.

My first thought was…ew.

But then I thought about how my 2 year old would’ve lunged for that thing had he been there. You know how fast they move.

Then…inevitably what would I have done?

I would have smacked it out of his chubby, adorable hand!

*cue the wails and tears.

Now, my kids have put some nasty things in their mouths over the years. I have one child in particular that’s just a licker. I mean, this child licks everything. (What on earth?!) So just to make sure I wasn’t the only mom with ridiculous children, I, of course, took to the internet.

The list of what y’all’s children have done really made me feel like I wasn’t so alone. There were a few admissions of the fecal variety (both human and canine), a couple ABC gums, and some bugs.

Mom’s are the real MVPs. I’m just saying.

Anyway, all this really got me thinking.

How quickly do I pick up something that looks good (from my limited perspective) and consume it real quick?

It may look convenient and delicious, but I didn’t take the time or may not have had the capacity to really see the potential dangers that are coming from putting it in my body or mind.

And here comes God – *smack* – right out of my hand.

It’s not because he’s mean or even because he’s exasperated. He’s just a good father that doesn’t want me to consume that nasty stuff. He knows what will come down the road if he lets me.

THEN…

I started thinking about some of the answers from my friends. Some of them we would certainly think of bugs as gross in our culture, but grasshoppers are eaten as a regular part of people’s diets in other parts of the world. One ethnic group in Tanzania actually considers grasshoppers a delicacy. They’re really protein rich.

So then THAT made me think about how, as believers, sometimes what we do consume may not look very appetizing to someone on the outside. We are citizens of heaven first, after all. The Bible even tells us what we do won’t make sense to those who don’t believe.

So, just because others don’t get it, if God put that on your plate, eat up, sis!

Just some musings inspired by a piece of trash on the ground.

Let’s be mindful of what we put in our minds this week and receive the removal if God sees fit.

Xoxo

–Beth