Feel Better Soup

One Sunday a month, I give up my usual seat in the left side of my sanctuary and spend my Sunday mornings in children’s church.  Aside from my extensive skills as a puppeteer, (my forearm extensors got quite a workout today), I volunteer in children’s church because I welcome any opportunity to be used by God and because I absolutely love the children of my church. Because I am still half kid myself and because I have no objections to milkshakes and doughnuts during the same three hour evening of babysitting; I have quite a fan club among the tots of Everlasting Covenant. This morning, I woke up extra early partly because I had soup to put in the crock pot and partly because my brain wouldn’t rest knowing it had a Sunday school and a children’s church lesson to prepare for. (A board exam in 2 weeks doesn’t help much either) I spent yesterday morning preparing both lessons but I needed to mentally go over them again a few more times before I was completely ready. (I considered wearing eye black this morning to get myself completely mentally psyched but I decided it may be too much for 5 year olds) During my car ride to church, I turned up my Lincoln Brewster CD, put on my pink sunglasses, gave a few fist pumps, and gave Satan plenty of warning for the abundance of God that was going to take place at the EC this morning.

Before one word came out of my mouth today, thousands of words came out of my heart. I asked God to use me to fill the gap between Him and His children. I prayed for wisdom. I prayed for strength. And most importantly I prayed that I would let God be God and rely on His Spirit opposed to my own spirit. (And of course God was His typical awesome self and sustained me during every second of my morning.) Because of my prayer of faith and obedience, I was able to complete my morning missions without fear and without the pressure of relying on myself. And I was able to spend my time and energy dancing to children’s worship music and playing with balloons. After my fun filled morning in children’s church, I helped serve a dinner to thank my church for supporting my upcoming mission’s trip. When I entered my church’s fellowship hall, a member of my church said, “I wondered where you were this morning.” (The children have their own sanctuary so most people didn’t see me this morning) And before I could respond a mother of one of my beloved totlets said, “I knew where you were because your mini-me already told me everything about her morning with you.” And this specific little princess (or mini-me) touched my heart more than I could ever touch hers this morning. Our church dinner consisted of soups, salad, and desserts. During the dinner, the six year old president of my fan club  came up to me and said, “Jay, I love feel better soup and yours is the best I’ve ever had.” Half touched and half confused, I asked her which soup she had eaten. Again, her response was, “the feel better soup.” And then I knew exactly what she meant and my confusion disappeared amongst the melting of my heart. I had made chicken noodle soup and in her sweet little heart she associated chicken noodle soup with feeling better during a sickness.  I also have a list of comfort foods (Actually, just ice cream) but my true “feel better” comes in the form of Jesus. If When I truly need  a touch physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually; Jesus is my only cure. He is my only cure because I have felt the benefits of knowing Him. I have experienced His peace in its richest form. And I have total satisfaction in Him alone. My first thought is always Jesus friends. Yes, I crave fattening comfort foods, bubble baths, and Mr. Bojangles but none of my typical “feel better” options compare to Jesus because I have a yearning in my soul for Him. I yearn to feel His presence. I yearn to be saturated with His comfort. I yearn for Him to quiet my fears. I yearn for Him to wrap His love around my sick heart. I yearn for Him because He completes me. He is at the core of my being and the only way for me to possible feel better is to have more of Him. I can’t turn Jesus into a feel better soup but I can drink Him up. I can inhale every ounce of His love. I can taste the riches of His grace. I can get lost in His scent of His sweet aromas. I can feel the warmth of my best friend. And I can see my healing in every serving of His healing waters. But I can’t ever, EVER  get enough of my favorite feel better soup.   Do you yearn for Jesus? Is He your true “feel better “in this world? Do you drink Him up every chance you get? Trust me friends, It doesn’t get any better than Jesus. And no one can heal you faster than Him. He may not exist in a liquid form but He exists in a form that will melt your heart every time and leave you craving more of Him.

When I left my house this morning my prayer was the same it is every morning: God it’s your piggy back partner, I will go wherever you lead me. And God give me more of you than I can possibly stand. Today, He didn’t just lead me through my Sunday school and children’s church lessons; He led me to a little girl (a princess who has captured my heart) who reminded me of why I choose Him above everything else. Who reminded me that God gives me more of Him each time I am desperate to feel better.

Verse to remember:  Psalm 63 1-5

¹ You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
   I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
   in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.

 ² I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
   with singing lips my mouth will praise you.