An Oreo Cookie Kind of Day

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. 

He who comes to Me shall never hunger,

          and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”         

                                                                         John 6:34-35 (NKJV)   

                    

I am having an Oreo cookie kind of day.  

Nothing makes my daughter happy today.  She’s crying one minute and growling at me the next.  This mother does not take too kindly to being growled at by a two year old. Nor do I appreciate the ugliness in the tone of her voice. 

Her strong-willed temperament takes charge of my to-do list.  I am accomplishing nothing and my attitude is going downhill fast.  I am frustrated at her behavior and my response.  Just plain frustrated.  I’m already in tears and it’s only mid-morning.      

I tell myself, “You need a snack.  Oreo cookies dipped in ice cold milk sound perfect.”  Creamy, white filling sandwiched between two crunchy, chocolate cookies, MMMM, comfort to my soul.  Oreos don’t growl or talk back.  No, they provide relief from my stress.   Oreo cookies are just what I need.   

Then it hit me.  Is this what I really need?  My daughter isn’t the problem and Oreos are not the answer.   My reactions cause the tension.   The solution is to immerse myself in the Truth.

All too often I turn to food for comfort, only to realize it will never soothe my soul.  The only source of lasting satisfaction is God.  When life’s circumstances come against me, my first response should be to feast on prayer and God’s Word.  This morning I neglected to find nourishment from the Truth in God’s Word.  As the condition of the day deteriorates, my mind has no Truth on which to meditate. 

The lack of Truth causes me to respond very poorly to my child’s behavior.  In turn, her responses mirror my poor choices.  The more frustrated I become, the more the situation escalates until we both are in tears and growling.

My soul hungers for peace.  Food never satisfies, but Jesus does.  He says, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”  Turning to Oreos or other sources of comfort will only starve the soul.  Lasting nourishment comes from Jesus, the Bread of life.

  

Dear Heavenly Father,

My actions reveal the famine in my soul.  My soul is hungry for You.  May I feast on Your Word, the everlasting food that satisfies and nourishes.