Steak and Oatmeal

I’ve mentioned before that my eyes are becoming weaker. Sometimes I wear a pair of reading glasses when I’m just doing stuff around the house. I really should wear them more often in the kitchen.

I like steak. My sweet husband Tim would prefer to have steak at every meal when he isn’t eating Mexican. I enjoy the treat every now and then.

I also enjoy oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries. Just a splash of almond milk (or whatever milk is in the fridge.) It warms me.

The other day I was preparing some oatmeal. The oats were in the bowl and I picked up what I thought was cinnamon. I could tell as soon as I sprinkled some that it was not. It was steak seasoning. Garlic, pepper, salt…. Nothing you want in your oatmeal.

I hadn’t sprinkled much. It would have been easy to just remove the tainted oats. I could even see where the seasoning was if I had put on my glasses.

But I didn’t.

I reasoned that it wasn’t that much. I added extra cinnamon and some honey just to be sure I wouldn’t be able to taste the steak seasoning.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it tasted awful. It was a nasty combination of mushy oats with garlic and honey.

And yet, I ate it. I was hungry and thought that it would eventually get better.

It didn’t. I finally dumped a spoonful or two into the garbage. But I had eaten nearly the entire bowl.

Why did I continue to scoop the disgusting concoction into my mouth?

I think it was because I stopped thinking. I was going through the motions and wasn’t thinking on purpose.

There were multiple opportunities for me to get rid of the root of the nasty taste in my oatmeal. But I didn’t take them. The best time, of course, would have been when I first discovered my error.

And so it is with my sin. When I say something that is hurtful, rude, or gossip, I should stop immediately. I need to recognize it for what it is and apologize. I should remove the tainted oats.

When I do something ‘in secret,’ I often try to cover my actions with lies. I tell one lie after another. I should just be honest from the beginning. Then I wouldn’t have to remember which lie I told to whom.

How often do I try to cover it up? I try to make it more pleasant by heaping sweet and pleasant things on top of it. Or I ignore the problem and just go through the motions of living.

That’s not how I want to live. I am a daughter of the Most High God. My life is to reflect Christ. I need to change.

Oh, Holy Spirit! Search me! Point out anything that isn’t of You and convict me. Then change me with more of You and less of me. Help me to immediately remove the tainted oats in my life.