Sweeter Than Honey

At the beginning of Lent this year, our pastor at church spoke to us about his ideas on sacrifice during this season. The story begins a year ago, when he, along with several of our congregation (including my husband) went to Africa on a sort of fact-finding mission to help determine how our church might best assist the members of one particular area. They spent 10 days touring the area and visiting with individuals who are working in that part of the world to help spread Christianity. Since then, our pastor has taken another group to do mission work and is planning another mission trip later this year. In December last year, the pastor of the African church that our church is working with and his wife came to Grapevine and spent a month in our area. They were amazed at the conveniences all around us, ones that we daily take for granted, like running water and paved roads.

Our pastor was mindful of these differences when it came time to remember Christ's sacrifice at Lent. He spoke to our congregation about choices he made for Lent and encouraged us to focus on Christ and possibly make choices of our own. I had always thought this was more of a Catholic practice and have never participated in "giving things up for Lent." But I felt motivated to introspect and chose to abstain from the 2 main things in my life that I consider myself to be addicted to: soda and sugar. So I gave up them up. The first few days were huge struggles as my body adjusted to withdrawal. I spent a couple of weeks trying to satisfy the urges with sugar substitutes: salt and artificial sweeteners.

After about 3 weeks, I finally reached the point of stabilization, not craving and not substituting. Then I had a couple of days where I was working on a project at home and was busy focusing my energy on it, working until I was beyond tired, and thinking of all that needed to be finished. On the day the project was finished, I was very tired and sore from all the work. I found myself fighting the temptation to drink a soda or stuff something sugary in my mouth all day. I finally realized that my attitude towards sugar was not just addiction, but that I used it as comfort food as well. I vowed to remember this after Lent is over, to find comfort from other sources and use food as nourishment.

The next day, I sat down to read my Bible, trying to catch-up with our Lenten scripture readings that I'd neglected for 3 days. Moments after starting to read, a familiar taste filled my mouth. A taste sweeter than any chocolate, honey or pure sugar was over-powering my mouth to the point of salivation. It took me a moment to know what was happening, but I realized that the Word of God was filling me with the sweetest taste I've ever known. I remembered reading passages in the Bible regarding the sweet taste of God's word. I turned to Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I've read these words before, but never felt their power as I did today.

Many times in my life, I've felt God speaking directly to me, or received an immediate and visible or tangible answer to a prayer. Again I'm reminded that God speaks to us often, if we only hear him. May the words of the Lord remain forever sweeter than honey to my mouth!