“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
As I commit to living a transparent life in Christ, I will share a story with you. Yesterday, I cried. I was discouraged and I allowed myself to lose sight of the greatness of God. I forgot for a moment how He has brought me through so many trials of life. So many, that I cannot count. He is always faithful, always available, and always cares for even the little things.
I like to call this episode
Fast Food Faith…
And yes, I was guilty of that yesterday. Sad, but true.
It is like this, when you pull up to the drive through window at the fast food joint, you get asked by a nameless voice, “What would you like to order?” You are in control.
You stare at the menu and can pick anything you want. When you finally get the idea of what seems like would be the tastiest entree, you tell the voice, “I would like a cheese burger and fries.”
Not only does that the voice take your order, he also asks, “Would you like something to drink.” Wow, he knew what you were thinking—you were thirsty and, wow, he cares!
Back to skimming the menu. You are in control again. You get to pick your favorite drink. That voice, that mysterious voice, cares for your every need. “I’ll take a vanilla shake…and a cup of water (that’s free).”
The voice goes the extra mile and asks, “Is that everything, or would you like something else?” You think about it for awhile, and you say, “Sure, I would like some ketchup with my order….Oh, oh, oh, and, and, (as you are looking over the menu, just in case you might like something else), and a fried pie!” You did not want to forget about the dessert if you are going to fully enjoy your fast food experience.
The voice tells you what you need to do now, giving you sound instruction. “Okay, that will be twelve dollars and forty-five cents. You can pull up to the next window.” That is easy. You put the car into drive and coast along slowly knowing that your food is on it’s way. You know it will be fresh, hot, and fast!!!
The person holds our their hand and you know the rule. You hand him a $20 bill. He gives you change and then hands you a bag of food. As he is making your shake, you are already snatching a few fries out of that bag while you wait. In a matter of seconds, you have your shake and water, your pie and burger, ready to indulge in. You pull your car into the parking stall and eat. There. All done.
Sometimes we want God to be the voice at the fast food joint. We want Him to take our order and make it snappy! We want to be in control and have God just waiting for us to make up our minds so He can get to work on our needs. And when we ask for something, we want it to be like a fast food joint, all ready to be handed to us after we do our part. We think by handing the money, or in the case of Christianity, hand God our devotion or obedience, we expect that He will hand us what we think we need.
We do not ask His will, we want our will. When we are in control, trying to make things happen, God is on His own time. It is like this…God creates the calf in it’s mother’s womb and He allows that calf to grow into a mighty beast. It takes 2 years for a grass fed beef cattle to be ready for processing. People a hundred years ago, did not have fast food. To get that Hamburger, they had to raise the cattle, butcher it and smoke the meat. They had to be patient because food just didn’t appear. It was hard work to put food on the table.
And most people a hundred years ago, knew more about God’s timing than what we know today. They understood because things were not just a click away. We now live in a culture that is high on instant gratification. We want something, we click a button and it is shipped to our door 2 days later. We pray and we want results instantly, but God doesn’t work that way most times. He has a plan and it is perfect. But it is in His perfect timing—not ours!
I allowed myself to become weary when I did not get my request when I needed it. I believed for it. I prayed for it. I did what I was told to do. I was obedient. I tried to be in control instead of allowing God to have complete control in His perfect timing. And I cried because I figured that God is not going to make it happen. I see the mountain and I doubt that God can figure out a way to help us climb it. I am ashamed at how I lost sight of the greatness of God.
Thankfully, because I have His glorious spirit reigning in me, I do not stay long at my struggle. I get back up and I brush myself off, I dry off my tears, and I keep plugging away. I tell you this because I want you to know that I sometimes struggle, too. I am not anywhere near perfect. I never want any of you to think for a second that I have it all figured out, or that I somehow never struggle with emotions or lack of trust.
The important part is that we get back up and we brush ourselves off again. We need to reflect on all the many many things that God has so graciously bestowed upon us. I sat there, just reflecting on life, knowing that God has done more than one person could ever earn or deserve in a lifetime, for me. He has brought me through some of my hardest points, and with all that, He also died for me. If there is nothing but just the fact He died for me, that is EVERYTHING! Anything else is just the icing on the cake!
I encourage you, if you are struggling, to bring to your remembrance all that the Good Lord has given you today. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, thank God for that. Trust God with all your heart. Do not put any faith into your own understanding. Look to Him in each and every situation, and He will show you the way. It may not be in your timing or the just the way you wanted it, but He is a real God, a living God who cares for us and is preparing a way. We just need to trust and follow.
17 thoughts on “Fast Food Faith”
Thank you…a great post!
Thanks for the poem! And the post!
That poem made me cry too… perfect timing. You must share it with the world…
Erin, you have such a gift with words and illustrations.
I have learned God always reminds me of areas that I
thought I have conquered but really haven’t quite gotten
yet.
I always need to remind myself that wherever I am weak,
Jesus’s strength will shine through as long as I continue to
rely on him and not my only understanding.
Keep up the good work.
Dear Erin,
This is the third message of this “theme” i have read in the last 24 hours. It such an encouragement!!! The first came in the form of a poem that a friend posted. She has asked in faith for over a week for the LORD to take the clot out of her seven week olds heart. This is the poem…..
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said,”Wait.”
“Wait? You say wait?” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!”
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I relate,
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to Wait?”
I’m needing a ‘yes,’ a go-ahead sign.
Or even a ‘no,’ to which I’ll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply.
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, “Wait.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting . . . for what?”
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.
You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
You’d never experience the fullness of love,
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask,
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
You’d never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I’m doing in you.
So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still “WAIT”.
-Robert Keffler
I hope it brings you ecouragement as it did me. Thank you for showing us your struggles as they speak to ‘us,’ as we in our own weekness wait on the LORD.
May you see the blessing of the LORD today,
Heather
That surely made me cry reading that because it is so true and so right. I am so blessed by this. Is this a poem I could share on there to uplift others, because it is so good I wish to share it to the world. Thank you for taking the time to share that poem with me. I truly was touched by it. Bless you dear sister!
Dear Erin,
Please share I have no clam on it. I would love to have others uplifted as well. :0) I hear echos of so many Psalms in the poem, Psalm 27:14 has carried me many, many day. Anyway please share with the world. :0)
Thank you for your heart to share,
Heather
Great post- I typically end up printing your posts from my email because they’re so good. This is another one that I needed to hear today. THANK YOU for taking the time. On a separate note, I came to the website to look into ordering more books. I just got your book in the mail today, read 50 pages, and it’s so so so good, I must share it with others!! I knew it’d be good, but not THAT good- and it’s thick, incredibly thick- LOVE it!! Can’t wait to read more but got to let it soak in too- to read or to let it soak in and apply .. .
That was such a nice comment! I am so thankful for it. I will be soon offering discounts on volume orders so that others can pass them out as a ministry. I should have an option by today on ordering a case at a time. Then you would get 24 books for $200 which would be a little better than 50% off the book!!! Let me know what you think of that.