THAT’S MY EXCUSE?!

I’ve been thinking…Why are some people so filled with passion and drive that they can’t help but reach out to those who are hurting.

And the rest of us do care, especially when presented with information of a person’s or a people’s painful circumstances. But except for a prayer or two said, a check written, we continue about our business – or busyness – forgetting all about that person’s pain in a day or two.

I prefer staying home, as a rule. It’s safer. I can eat my own cooking and avoid possible gluten contamination (the stuff that caused me a troublesome 40 years until knowledge came). So is guarding my health a good reason for not going “out into the world”?

The draw to stay in the comfort of my home, taking care of home life, is greater than the draw to reach out! Just let me write a check to help support somebody who has greater passion to go make a difference.

How pathetic is that!!!!!

I want to fall to my knees and beg God’s forgiveness. I want to ask him to break my heart and fill me with passion for those who are hurting. This apathy that seems to define me can’t be right!

We met a man while in Israel last fall. His name is Tommy, he’s maybe 60-something years old, and he’s a teacher from California. He returns to Israel every year because his heart is heavy for the lost souls, especially the young. His conversation easily turns to his passion, his eyes easily tear up from compassion for the people on his heart. He doesn’t work through an agency, he serves on his own time with his own money. What led the passion to burn so greatly within him that he spends the time, the discomfort (have you ever flown for 12 hours on an airplane?), and the money each year to touch lives in another country?

I’m not a brave person, in fact I’m quite easily intimidated. So I must begin with prayer, and pray diligently.

I’m reading a book by David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. He writes what might be a possible answer from God to the question: Why am I so blessed? 

“I have blessed you for my glory. Not so you will have a comfortable life with a big house and nice car. Not so you can spend lots of money on vacations…but I’ve blessed you so that the nations will know me and see my glory.”

How do I affect nations? How do I show God’s glory to them? Maybe prayer is what I’m called to do…intentional, on-the-knees, my ‘free’ time spent in intercessory prayer. I do have a heart – a passion – for that, and I’ve seen God work through my prayers, but sadly I don’t spend near enough time praying.

Another passion of mine is eating-to-heal. It causes me great sadness to sit by and watch people who struggle with health, who have all their prescriptions and doctor appointments, and they sit down to eat their inflammatory meals. Perhaps there’s a way for God to use that passion in me to touch lives, but I have yet to know how that would work. If you’re a praying person, I ask that you say a prayer for me as I work this out.

“God of Grace and God of Glory”

Following is an adaptation of the hymn. The words spoke deep into my heart.

God of grace and God of glory,

On your people pour your power.

Crown your ancient church’s story,

Bring her bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil around us,

Scorn your Christ, assail his ways.

From the fears that long have bound us,

Free our hearts to faith and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

For the living of these days.

Cure your children’s warring madness,

Bend our pride to your control.

Shame our wanton selfish gladness,

Rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,

Gird our lives that they may be,

Armored with all Christ-like graces,

In the fight to set men free.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,

To the evils we deplore.

Let the search for your salvation,

Be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

Serving Thee Whom we adore.

Yuk! Yuk! Yuk! But I did it anyway.

Liver – a culinary delight in many cultures, so I’ve heard.

(I didn't think you wanted to see a picture of liver.)

My mom made it when I was growing up, and I ate it, but it was only to get through the meal. I think I’ve always made a face while chewing liver. I don’t believe I’ve ever opted for seconds.

Then I grew up, got married, and even though we knew liver was good for us, it wasn’t something my husband and I ever picked up at the grocery store.

And then we received part of a cow, and the processing plant wanted to know how we wanted our meat, and by the way, do you want the liver, heart, and kidneys?

I know a friend who includes the heart and kidney in her ground beef, so I went with that very good idea. But they won’t do that with the liver and I doubt I’d like my hamburgers with liver in them. I said I wanted them, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever eat them. Mainly because I couldn’t stand the thought of touching those slimy, deep red, bloody slabs. So my husband volunteered to make the liver. He actually does a pretty good job. We’ve had it about three or four times now, and one of those times, I actually wanted seconds, and even enjoyed leftovers! I’m not sure what made the difference. He always stir fries, basically the same way every time. I’ve learned that it’s best if you barely cook it, even as little as medium rare. So maybe that time it was less cooked than other times.

Even so, it’s not something we have often. So why should we be concerned about eating liver anyway? It seems like a very gross food item to me. So I read, and I read some more. I learned that some people even eat it raw! I’ve tried to work at getting used to that idea for the health benefit, and learned of ways to camouflage it in other foods. But why go to that trouble?

Today I did it. I had the entire day to myself. I read my devotions, I watched a little TV, I listed a couple things on eBay, I also went into the office for one little task. Then it was time for lunch, so I thought to myself, “Why not, I’ll try it.” I thawed some liver (in a hot water bath, I rarely use the microwave anymore). In the blender I put plain homemade yogurt, raw egg yolks (which I have no trouble with, I eat “dippy eggs” all the time), a handful of blueberries…now how to add the meat.

I had tried to push the frozen liver over a cheese grater, but it needed more elbow grease than I’m able to produce, so I got out the electric meat grinder and ran it through that. I think I put way too much in my smoothie. It looked like a little more than two tablespoons. When the drink seemed to be super smooth, I filled a glass. It was a large glass, so I wasn’t able to drink it all without stopping to breath. But I drank it quickly so I wouldn’t have to think about it. Then when I was done, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I thought I was going to gag. Fortunately when I burped, I only noticed the blueberries. Very thankful!

Now back to the question…Why liver? And why raw? In a cooked state, the liver offers protein, fat, and Vitamins A and D. If left raw, it also offers B vitamins and enzymes. Plus there are other goodies in liver like folic acid, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, CoQ10 – liver is filled with nutrition, packed full actually.

Something else raw liver has is some unidentified component that mysteriously takes away fatigue. I won’t be able to attest to that today, since fatigue isn’t an issue.

So I finally did it. I consumed raw liver! Then I put the remaining ground liver in an ice cube tray, which went into the freezer, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to do this again?

Perhaps if I don’t put so much in my smoothie. The thing is, although I did taste the liver just a bit as I drank it, it actually didn’t taste that bad; it was just the knowledge that I was gulping raw liver.

I know, I’m gross. This eating-to-heal lifestyle brings challenges, and it’s certainly interesting. I asked my husband when talking on the phone this afternoon if he thought he’d ever want to try it. He said, “no.” I said, “what if I read all the health benefits to you.” He said, “no.”

But what if he doesn’t see me add it to a smoothie?



                             Very good document on liver:
                             http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/509-liver-files.html


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; 
save me and I will be saved, 
for you are the one I praise.  
 — Jeremiah 17:14