The First Cup is the Sweetest

Superman has kryptonite.

The Green Lantern has any object colored yellow.

Every team in the SEC has Alabama.

We all have our weaknesses.

Mine, comes in the form of anything fried. Or in a wrapper. Or on a cone.

I love food. And as a child, I loved food a little too much, and the results, were, well embarrassing to say the least. See the photo below. Yes that is me. And no, I don't have a pillow stuffed under my shirt as my mother recently guessed when I showed her this picture. That is pure belly, developed from gorging myself on chicken fingers, french fries, and anything nougat covered.

And now that we're getting closer to All Hallow's Eve, a favorite holiday of my former fat self ( when else is it OK to eat an entire pillow case of candy?...and maybe some of your little brothers that you stole when you went through yours? Sorry Drew) there is a memory that continues to pop into my head and haunt my dreams.

I was 10 years old, around the age of the dreaded picture above. In all of my bowl cut glory, I was anxiously awaiting October 31st, my second favorite day of the year. (My birthday always wins out. Presents AND cake and ice cream? What could be better). My Mom and Dad were going on a trip, and to be ahead of the game, had bought the Halloween candy early, and was safely tucked away in our top cabinet.

Safely, of course, until she told me about it.

"Katie, I have the Halloween candy up in the cabinet. You cannot eat it. Those Reeses Cups are not for you. They're for the trick or treaters. Do. Not. Eat. Them. All."

But the rest of her word were all dull mumbles to me. She had said the magic words, the words that turned my knees to jello, and put my mind in an instant haze, incapacitating me from thinking of anything else.

Reeses Cups.

I love Reeses Cups. The perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter, straight manna from heaven and the nectar of the Gods.

And I tried to resist. I really did. I did everything I could to take my mind off the treasures that await me.

I played Barbies ( yes, I still played Barbies at the age of 10). I read the newest Harry Potter book. I watched tv. I waited the 10 minutes for the internet to dial up and tried to play the newest Sims game I had got.

But, I was tempted. They were whispering my name.

So, I tiptoed downstairs. And I opened the cabinet. I took out the bag. And I ripped it open. And I took one, just one, of the delectable morsels.

Then one more.

And another.

And another.

Until finally, I was sick to my stomach, my face was covered in chocolate, and there was one single Reeses Cup left in the jumbo sized Halloween bag.

I had technically followed my moms rules. I didn't eat them all. 

There was still one left.

But I knew, deep down, that wasn't going to be good enough.

In the book of Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt goes through this same power struggle with God.

God tells Moses to go to the Pharaoh and relay His one simple command.

“Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”

Not just men. Not just women. Not just children. Not just the animals.

God was talking about all of his people.

And Pharaoh kept trying to get around his command.

He would let all the men go.

No, and then came a plague from God.

He would let the women and the children go.

Nope- take another plague.

All the people could go, but the animals had to stay.

No way Jose- take yet another plague.

How many times do we try to take God's commands and do everything but one small little piece?

How many times do we do follow one little piece of His guidance, and then ignore the rest?

How many times do we eat all of the Reeses, and leave just one, so that we can claim

"Hey, look at me, I obeyed!"

I wonder how our lives would be different if we didn't just follow some of God's commands, but every single one of them?

How many relationships would we get out of? How many friendships would we change? How much better would our witnesses be?

And, if we started viewing these command not as rules to keep us from having fun, but instead, advice from our heavenly father that loves us so dearly's attempt to keep us safe and fulfilled, how would our lives be different?

How many stomaches and tearful confessions to our mom would be avoid?

How many messy breakups and heartbreaks would we escape?

This is my prayer for me, and for you my dear friends-

That we take all of His commands with an open heart, and an open mind.

That we are not those "one Reeses in the bottom of the bag" kind of Christian.

We are bag completely full, joy overflowing, followers of the Almighty King.