Life Candy

Throughout the past decade I've found that I my life has been molded and changed from something that was more about me and what I want, and into something that is more like what I used to view as boring, sheltered and bland. While I do not view myself as boring, sheltered, or bland (it's rather the opposite), I have been moving along a spectrum towards finding myself being attracted towards people that my earlier person would describe as such. Many of this type of person are this way not because they think they are 'righteous' or are 'doing everything right' but because they have found meaning in the simplicity. It's all about ridding life of the 'candy' that may taste and look good and add variety and color to life, but in the end actually also create cavities, causes lethargy, and a funny feeling in the pit of your stomach. I have found much peace along this path toward what I used to think was boring. I'm not advocating that anyone should get rid of all things that add spice to life, but rather for a realization of the things that add that spark while providing life and vitality at the same time.


I want to rid myself of the candy and instead replace it with the fruits of life. Both are sweet and satisfy that sweet tooth, but the later is actually food. So, this means, I don't want to clutter my mind with trendy music, novels, fashion statements, facebook profiles, blog entries, photographs, new ideas,  self affirmations, preoccupations or hobbies that while in a sense are not bad, but rather are keeping me from figuratively looking ever upward to my friend Jesus. 

I want to be a Christian to the deepest level. I don't want to cut things out of my life simply because they are 'taboo' to that deep Christian walk, but rather to cut them out because I no longer find the need for those things. I want there to be reasons and feelings behind these choices of what I include in my life not simply because it fits the stereotype of 'christian'. Last year for instance, I realized that I no longer really listened to 'my type of music' that I had in my computer. I liked it and it 'said something' about who I was of course, but I felt God pulling me away from it until I knew that I really needed to just delete it. I still like this type of music to a large degree, but I no longer get that joy from it that I had before, but instead it somehow leaves an empty feeling. So, I didn't delete it so show off and fit that idea of 'christian' but because Jesus took away my joy for it.

I don't want sugar, I want real food.

A little sugar now and then doesn't hurt, true. Some people balance it into their diets daily. But, really, is it necessary when there are things that are multitudes better? For some the taste for sugar is learned and isn't easy to cut out, but personally it is my desire to cut the life candy for good. It's a daily work, again and again. I want to rid my life of those candies that keep me from having deeper devotions and longer devotions and from praying for those that I care about, and for those that I don't know that well, and from digging deep into what God is trying to teach me.

I cannot judge others in their journey in cutting the life candy for each person takes a different pace. But personally my prayer is that God will take these cravings for the shallow and give me cravings for the deep real food of life.