Toothpaste & Turkeys
November 26, 2008
The first time I visited what is now MY church (as in “excuse me, that’s my seat, my parking space, my eggo”) I felt like I’d arrived home after a long trip.
First of all it was in a school auditorium so it wasn’t really a church, which has it’s appeal since the kind of praying I do is not the type that requires altars, stained glass windows or clerical collars. And I certainly didn’t look around to find the missing confessional booth.
And since my best praying is usually done in my car or, say, my bed in the middle of the night or while I’m unloading the dishwasher, I didn’t feel like anything was missing when I walked into this service that also had a rockin’ live band so good you looked around to see if there was a cover charge.
My husband didn’t come with me the first time because he has a hard time with plans that are not his idea so I was with my kids on my recon mission to find GOD. Although my hopes were not high after visiting lots of churches that made me sleepy, hungry and hankering for Starbucks, still, Il was intrigued.
The next few moments I remember like yesterday. The then fresh from Princeton Youth Minister, had gathered all the kids for a five minute pre“off-to-your-own Sunday-School”pep talk and I expected to use this time to make my grocery list in my head.
He distracted me though with the tube of Crest toothpaste he had in his hand. Hmmm.
He asked the kids how easy would it be to squeeze out some toothpaste onto a plate, which one lucky volunteer easily did. Splat.(ah the satisfaction of squeezing in the middle)
He then said “Okay, now put it back in.” All of us parents were now on board and watching where this could be going. His next sentence was the equivalent of the Sermon on the Mount in my book.
He said, “Kids,Words are like toothpaste. They are easy to spill out but almost impossible to take back. So watch what you say.”
Amen.He could’ve had the benediction right there and I’d have gotten my dose of God. I’d come home and didn’t even know I’d been gone.
What does this have to do with the health slash fitness rant you were expecting? Since my brain is capable of making far-stretching associations I realized (in bed last night in the middle of my 3am prayers) that the eating that goes on in the next few days, which for most people is the cumulative caloric equivalent of what other people in other countries eat in a month,
this feeding frenzy is the reverse match to the toothpaste analogy.
What you put in cannot easily be taken off.
Does that mean you can’t taste wonderful recipes and relax and enjoy?
No. It only means that just like toothpaste, where you usually need less than you think, and also with your words, where being concise is better than rambling on and on, try to eat just enough.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in my Workout World. Watch carefully what you eat, since it won’t come off nearly as easily
and it can’t hurt to watch your words as well.
Comments
Got something to say?
Sign Up for Special Insider Info and Tips!
