The Gates of Splenda?

Rather than doing some "introductory blog," where I recant some heartfelt, epiphanal tale of what has driven me to sharing my life over the internet, I'll simply give you the real reason: I talk a lot. I think a lot. I have a lot of opinions. I, like all narcissistic bloggers, feel that what I have to say is worth reading. With that being said, this is my first official entry, so please take it easy with the critiquing. Thanks.

Accepting Imitations


As we forge ahead into 2011's New Year's Resolution season, I have noticed many friends and family of mine trying to improve their health by losing weight or eating better. One way they do this is by cutting sugar from their diets (a nearly impossible task if you read any labels whatsoever). Rather than going cold turkey, many said dieters opt for a low-cal substitution like Sweet-n-Low, Splenda, or my personal fav, Agave nectar. This is all well and good (I have no intention of making some grand statement about nutrition in this particular entry), but as we are now in the 3rd week of January, those sugar-free  imitations are no longer cutting it. I know this firsthand because several of the strongly resolved, sugar abstaining educators I eat lunch with daily are now ready to rip my arms off if it means I will relinquish my sinfully sweet oatmeal cream pie. The truth is, if we have spent a lifetime conditioning our bodies to enjoy the "real deal," all the phonies, despite our efforts, are sure to eventually come up short and leave us wanting.

This whole "imitation" craze doesn't confine itself to our shoddy dieting endeavors; it has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. I'll give you a few examples:

Imitation Community: I walk into a room, put on my "church smile," hug a few gal pals, and eat some yummy finger foods. All the while I am struggling through sin, heartache, trial, or pain that God never intended me to handle alone. Do I dare to share? Of course not. We're church people. Church people should have their lives "together" and free of sin, dammit!

Imitation Peace: The absence of conflict = true peace. WRONG! As it turns out, God doesn't really do things half-way. The absence of conflict is only half of what true Shalom really is. In fact, according to Strong's concordance, the original Hebrew word "Shalom" entails much more: "completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord." Trying to pass off a simple lack of discord as a true, God given peace is like pasting a Porsche logo on your Pinto: you're not fooling anyone. 


Imitation Romance: This happens to be a subject near and dear to my heart, particularly as of lately, so you'll probably see a more in-depth explanation of "imitation romance" in a future blog... For now, all you need to know is that if you are:
1. Believing that your dating/marriage partner can fulfill your every longing and satisfy the desires of your heart,
2. Involved in a co-ed friendship that looks like a dating relationship without the commitment (and therefore using each other as temporary pacifiers until that "right" person comes along)...
or
3. Fantasizing about how perfect your life will be if you can only find that "special someone"


then you are accepting imitation romance. Truly fulfilling romance can only come from someone who knows everything about you, can be trusted to love you unconditionally and tirelessly through your flaws, and has your best interest at heart. Good news and bad news: the only one who can do that is God. Other romances may be able to (and should) reflect that kind of love, but no earthly relationship can give you everything you need. 


This is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of imitations we accept every day. The truth is, we all do it. Today, I challenge you to look deeply at your life and "find the phonies." The little imitations we accept as authenticities in our daily lives are breeding discontent and frustration that will zap you of valuable time, energy, and devotion God has given you for Himself. We may be able to feel satisfied by our Splenda lifestyles for a spell, but ultimately, we have been created and conditioned to desire the Real Deal. In my next blog, I'll talk more about what exactly the Real Deal is, and what each of these imitations in our lives says about our view of God.