Egg Before Chicken
I have been put on a “money diet”. Of course this is the time of year (New Year, Lent, etc.) when most people are on food diets as well. My apologies to the liturgical crowd, I do realize it’s called fasting in Lent. Gimme a break, I went to seminary, too.
As you can tell, I’m a bit cranky. See, where I spend money the most is on going out to eat. After church yesterday, I want to go out for lunch. I had preached well AND sung a duet which went well, too. I deserved a treat. I was hungry. Such formulas normally result in pastors eating fried chicken. Money diet said I had to stay home and have a sandwich (Mmmmm . . . egg salad). I could have begged. I could have pouted. Instead I saw $15 staying in the bank. It hurt, but I’m better for it.
I have been drinking more water lately. Today when I jammed my cup into the door of the refrigerator, and yes it does have a dispenser, no water came out. I switched to “ice” and I got ice. I switched back to “water” but no water. There was no way that I was going to even tempt my old nemesis “crushed ice” to complicate this matter.
Resolving to have water to drink, I put the tea kettle under the tap in order to boil water that would then have to cool in the refrigerator. I could have drunk water from the tap, but I am not far enough removed from the great, brown water episode of the summer of ’07. As I began to fill the kettle, I laughed as I yelled at myself, “You can BUY a jug of water at the store!”
OK, I am not kidding here. The moment I said that, I heard water drip at the door of the refrigerator. I stuck a cup there, and the water flowed out like latecomers to Sunday service—casual, free, clueless about their imposition, and without apology. And, to go against the grain of the Old Testament story (Exod 15 and/or17), I am not bitter about it. It actually tastes pretty good. Sorry, I can’t blog much more right now. You see, I’ve had a lot of water to drink and . . .