Savor

When I was pregnant with my youngest, I began to like dill pickles. As a young child, I wouldn't eat them at all. As I got a bit older, I'd tolerate them on a burger. But about halfway through my pregnancy, I walked past a pickle jar in a buffet and did a double take. My nose said that that dill pickle aroma was WONDERFUL and I MUST have some! Now I regularly enjoy dill pickles.  This matters because, for me, a turkey sandwich is leftover roast white meat, a generous topping of dill pickles, and a couple pieces of wheat bread slathered with mayo. (Are you drooling yet? I am.) Last week I had leftover turkey in the fridge, and I started thinking about a turkey sandwich. I anticipated that sandwich for a good twelve hours. It. Was. DELICIOUS. I savored every bite!

Yesterday our church had breakfast during the Sunday school hour to celebrate Christmas. Shorty and the kids went to the church early to cook, and I had an hour of quiet. Normally I turn on some kind of noise almost immediately, but I just pondered and puttered in silence. It was glorious. I so rarely get moments of quiet, and I savored every one.

Then I began to ponder how the anticipation of a thing tends to heighten your enjoyment when you do receive it. And I began to question if I was savoring my time of personal Bible reading. That pulled me up short because for the past several months I've been so rushed and harried that I've skipped my devotions as often as I've had them. In my head I know that skipping has disastrous results for my heart and relationships, but I allow the pressing to push out the priorities. So I was challenged to look toward the Savior and savor those moments I have with Him. And I encourage you, Christian, to do the same.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalms 34:8