Five years ago, we moved back to America and my fear of food allergies began to ease up. In the four years that we were in Europe, many changes occurred in the States, but two of these were: the idea to put flax in all kinds of foods and the birth of iPhones! No one ever seemed to be more than two-inches away from his or her phones and I had no idea why. “You mean to tell me that you can check your email and search the Internet on that thing?” I asked. God bless those who filled me in on the technology I missed. The reverse culture shock was interesting, but a story for another day.
We were glad to be back in America and visited a church on Communion Sunday. As they passed out the bread, I looked at it, and it suspiciously looked dark or “multi-grained,” and you know what that meant— possible flax alert! What was I to do? I didn’t want to dishonor God by not eating it, but I also didn’t want to have a reaction. Did this mean my faith wasn’t strong enough? Fear was present, but so was my Lord. He was there to love me through it—again. (If you get anything from this, I want you to know how immense God’s tender love is to you all the time.)
I passed on the bread, knowing that God loved me and understood. I would take it in my heart and God would be okay with it. My husband noticed I didn’t take any bread and gave me that look—it was the “Oh-brother-the-communion-doesn’t-have-flax-so-just-eat-it” look. I shrugged it off, but was a little disappointed in myself. But during communion, God lovingly brought back a memory to me from my childhood.
At the church I attended as a kid, they would use these white circles for communion that didn’t even look like bread. They were little yummy, sugary wafers, and I loved them! As a 9 year old, I would break the wafer during communion (as we were representing the body of Jesus that was broken for us on the cross), but sneakily, I would hide the other half of the sugary wafer in my dress pocket. You see, it was important to wear a dress that had pockets—for communion purposes! 🙂 Throughout the sermon, I would tear off tiny pieces of that sugary wafer and munch on it—happily…very happily.
So now, as an adult, instead of bringing me guilt or condemnation for fearing something, God lovingly brought that precious memory to my mind. Then I felt God suggest to me, “You can eat one of those sugary wafers if you like.” This brought a huge smile to my face and in my heart; I did eat a sugar wafer.
I want you to see His mercy. I want you to see His love and kindness – not just with big things in our lives, but the smallest of details. God is king over all things, and it is His joy to love you like His child. You are precious to Him—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’ ” – Jeremiah 31:3-6 (NIV)
Whatever you have lost in times of fear, the Lord will renew it. He will return your joy and dry your tears of loss. He, in essence, will move you forward into a bigger land of faith, and fear will become more of a memory. He is worthy of our praise.
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1(NIV)
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the grace and mercy you give me as I grow. Thank you for loving me into a deeper relationship with you. Help me to see and know your heart towards me, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
