Did you say "bacon"?

I cried at work today, over Starburst....  but not in the “I’m Hangry” kind of way. 

 This morning I’m just there at work, minding my own business. I think- Oh I’ll be nice and offer one of these fruity, chewy little treats to a coworker- he then politely declined while informing me he was a vegetarian.

I just learned what gelatin really was last night. I also just learned of its existence in almost all of the yummy stuff we eat. Bill Cosby, I'm disappointed. 

The decline of my Starburst spurred another conversation about the substance of gelatin and exactly what it is and how it's made. I don’t know if it’s true, but when another coworker informed me that gelatin was sometimes made of horses hooves, I literally started to get teary eyed. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. I’m not saying I want to go vegetarian or that I would consider cutting all (or any) meat from my diet. I mean, bacon is a BIG deal. But the idea of horses hooves in my innocent mid-morning candy pick me up was actually a let-me-down. Maybe tomorrow I will stick with the regular granola bar.

I have been asking God to break my heart for what breaks His. I don’t know if it’s the innocent animals, or just that He's making my heart softer, but there I was... standing at the service desk in [almost] tears.

When I left work there was a man outside our building. He asked me a simple question about the kind of products Target carried. He was a homely looking man. It could have been because he works construction and those are his work clothes, but the way he asked about a simple loaf of bread got to me. 

There I was again, on the verge of tears. 

I got in my car, as I was driving off thinking of that man and saying a silent prayer for him, Matthew Wests song “My Own Little World” started to play. I've heard this song many times before, but today I actually heard it. It made me wonder; what if there is a greater purpose I could be living right now? I'm on the hunt for my greater purpose.   

Have you ever wanted to know God more but didn’t quiet know where to start? Me too. People always say “start in The Word, of course”. While that may be true, I also know that it can get overwhelming. The Bible is a big book (I mean, technically it’s a large collection of smaller books, but who’s counting). Ask any one person where to start and they will each give you a different place-for a different reason. My suggestion? Start with Prayer. If you want to know God, the very first step is to pray. From the “sinners prayer” to a real relationship- it all starts with prayer.

"Our Prayers are the necessary opening that allows God to act without violating our freedom. Prayer is the ultimate partnership with God." - John Robb

I will add, reading The Word is one definite way of learning more about God. Don't be overwhelmed, start with small amounts. Pray for God to increase your hunger.  

He will. 

I am so thankful I have been challenged by people around me to do just that, to pray and read His word. I am taking this Perspectives Class, it is teaching me God’s heart for the nations. I think more importantly it is teaching me more of who God is, what His desires are, and what His purpose is for each and every one of us.

To take another line from the song, “I don’t want to miss what matters, I want to be reaching out. Show me the greater purpose so I can start living right now.” 

I challenge you, start reaching out, start living now.  

Just a side note: When Jesus created the new covenant, we received the freedom to eat bacon.