Once upon a Sangwich

A good story has the power to do a lot of things; it can convict, transform, empower, and challenge.

Well-told-meaningful-stories have incited revolutions, discredited deep seated ideologies, and shaped history as we know it.

And when you hear a good story, it stays with you. 

My friends will tell you, I have a great memory for stories. I can recall minute details, characters names, and dialogue at the drop of a hat. 

Ask me what 7 x 9 is, and I'll need a second to think (or take my shoes off...); but mention a scene from any Adam Sandler movie and I WILL quote back to you (in a less-than-accurate Sandler impression) every line.

Would I like to be one of those people who has practical and marketable skills? Hell yes. Unfortunately, I was blessed with the not-so-necessary gift of movie, music, and tv trivia.

Unintentionally, stories will imprint themselves in the deepest regions of my psyche. For years they will lie dormant —until one day, an off-handed comment revives them from their slumber, forcing their way into my consciousness. Maybe you've also had this moment — when as you're silently waiting in an elevator, a very inappropriate joke your co-worker told you last month makes a guest appearance — suddenly you're giggling. People are staring now.  You realize they're thinking, "what the heck is she laughing at?" 

This is the moment I usually choose to pop some meds. It really rounds out the whole situation.

I found myself in a similar situation today. As  I sat in the Mall, cheerfully enjoying my Chik-Fil-A sangwich (as Dane Cook would say... I told you I remember stupid stuff...), a story came back to me. It's one I read many years ago in David Crowder's book Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi.

In the first chapter, David describes a scene very similar to my own. Three months after his father dies, he finds himself in a mall food court. For three months he has not smiled. Up to this moment the depth of his grief is so overwhelming, he's unable to find fulfillment in what he once enjoyed. 




He describes the scene: "I have loved Chik-fil-A my whole life. But when your world implodes nothing tastes good. I was poking at the thing, and a thought hit me that there is one part of the sandwich I don't enjoy. There is a quarter of the breast which consistently dissolves into a lesser grade of meat and soggy breading. I took the top bun off and tore the portion away that didn't look appealing. There was a natural break in the meat. It easily separated. I put the top back on and ate. It was the best chicken sandwich I have ever eaten. I waded up the foil sandwich bag and smiled for the first time in a really long while. 

It may sounds like a breakthrough, but for me it was truly cathartic. In a small decisive moment I was aware of what was good and took effort to peal away what wasn't, and in the process became enamored with the Giver of good... The consequences of this discovery were huge. If He was in a sandwich, where else could He be? Every moment was becoming holy. Nothing was non-spiritual. This was habitual praise — a perpetually sacred acknowledgement of the Giver of every good thing. A relentless embracing of good and discarding of bad..."

Truly I tell you in that moment this story was as clear in my mind as it appears on this page. That, is the power of a good story. 

In Praise Habit, David reminds us we were made to live in response to God's overflowing generosity. Genesis tells us God made everything and said is was good. We're told he created this world for us. For our enjoyment. We're also called to be stewards, taking care of this good. But by chapter three we decide what God has made isn't good enough, or, it is not enough of the good. 

This lust separates us from God. Pain enters and it becomes harder to point out the good we once knew. In response we form all sorts of bad habits. Our culture supports and perpetuates these bad habits. And suddenly living in tune with how we were created becomes harder and harder. 

Saint Paul in his first letter to his disciple Timothy recommends creating godly habits. He writes, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:7-10)

The rest of the book is an exploration of how to create Praise Habits — or how to bring spiritual awareness to every moment: the significant and the mundane. 

Most of us would say we have bad habits. But what is a habit EXACTLY.  Like any thorough researcher, I Googled it. 

According to Google: 

hab·it/ˈhabit/

Noun:	A settled or regular tendency or practice, esp. one that is hard to give up.
Verb:	Dress; clothe: "a boy habited as a serving lad".
Synonyms:	noun.  custom - practice - wont - way - usage - use verb.  dress - clothe - garb - invest

Haha! 

Did you catch that second one? 

Verb:

Dress; clothe: "a boy habited as a serving lad".

What??? That's the most universally understood example of habit as a verb they could think of? 

"So true, my serving lad is always being habited...." 

To summarize, a habit is a regular practice; not to be confused with a nun's habit, Frodo the hobbit, or young habited serving lads.

Like brushing your teeth or turning off the lights when you leave a room, creating good spiritual habits takes commitment. No born again Christian automatically begins reading his/her bible everyday. First they have to make the concentrated effort to set aside a space and time. Then, focus their minds on what they're reading. And reading the bible daily can become tedious, unless you begin to actively listen for the Spirits voice in the text. It takes resolve, which is why we usually describe these habits as "spiritual disciplines." 

Creating a good habit is painful in the beginning. But after a certain amount of time it becomes second nature. What once was a chore, becomes something you look forward to — because you begin to see the benefit it has on your life. Paul says this in Romans: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

You don't just brush your teeth because tooth paste tastes so darn good! (blech.) You brush your teeth because you don't want them to fall out of your head. If this weren't the case, I would never bother with it. But of course I put up with it because I know it is for my benefit. Spiritual habits help us tap into God's good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives.

So, Chick-fil-A in hand, what is this story trying to challenge in me? What are my bad habits? How can recognizing them transform me.

As far as I can tell, here are my worst habits: 

1) Biting my cuticles

2) Leaving dirty dishes in the sink

3) Assuming the worst in most situations

4) Spending more than I make

5) Saying things I don't mean in anger

6) Not being honest about little things

7) Judging myself too harshly

8) Being too critical of people and institutions

9) Complaining

10) Over stimulating, via too much tv and music! 

I've already spent too much time dwelling on these. So for now, I will set them aside and decide what new habits I want to create. Like DC, how can I discard the bad and embrace the good? 

Luckily Bible.org has a list of habits leading to Christ-likeness.

I'll put them in my own words...

1) Reading the bible daily

2) Regular Prayer

3) Worship: to make this distinct from prayer, I'll category this as worship through service to others, and joyful celebration of God through liturgy and art

4) Quiet time (damn... I knew this would be in there) 

5) Fasting (This is going downhill fast...)

6) Fellowship (ok, starting to like this!)

7) Evangelism (S***...) 

8) Giving

OK, so here's where I make my grand-sweeping-statement: After Thanksgiving I will devote eight weeks to intensely practicing these habits. I will work on cultivating one habit per week. Hopefully by week nine a few will have stuck.

 I'll also make a spiritual discipline of documenting my attempt here on the blog. 

Writing this blog, both you and I are acutely aware of how many times we make grand plans such as this one, without any follow-through. With the odds against me, why even bother?

The truth is, it's because of another good story. Some have called it the greatest story ever told. It's the story of God choosing to become human so He could share in our struggles. The story tells of this god-man Jesus insisting we can become a certain kind of person. He even dies and comes back to life to prove there is a way for us.

And the story is compelling... it demands action... I want what it promises: the life that is truly life. I refuse to settle for anything less. I refuse to settle for anyone less.