Labels

A Los Angeles woman sued Kraft Foods, Inc. for fraud and deceptive labeling, claiming that its Kraft Dips Guacamole Dip -- which contains less than 2% avocado -- is misleading consumers.

The plaintiff said she discovered the miniscule amount of avocado in Kraft's guacamole last year when she was made a three-layer dip. "It just didn't taste avocadoey to me," she said. "I looked at the ingredients and found there was almost no avocado in it."

According to the vice president of Kraft Foods' corporate affairs, the company is in the process of re-labeling its guacamole dip to make it more clear to consumers that the dip is merely guacamole-flavored.

How about you? Are your true ingredients hiding behind a label?

• "Nice guy" - just don't listen in on his private conversations.
• "Honest Person" - just don't count the office supplies she has brought home from work.
• "Faithful" - just don't check the website cache on his computer.
• "Trustworthy" - just don't audit their taxes.

Or maybe you have been incorrectly labeled:

• "Rude" - but he just lost his job.
• "Unfriendly" - but she is worried about the test results.
• "Mopey" - but they have been struggling to keep their family together.

Jesus said the good person will produce good out of his heart just like the bad person will produce bad out of his heart (Luke 6:43-45).

Regardless of the label we have, whether self-adhered or assigned, whether situational or permanent, God knows who we really are and eventually our true self will be sifted out of the artificial ingredients.

Moments

One of my favorite songs is called "Moments" by the band Emerson Drive. The first verse and chorus read:

"I was coming to the end of a long, long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge,
Followed me onto it.
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change.
Wouldn't need it anyway.
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed.
He said, 'You know I haven't always been this way.

I've had my moments, days in the sun.
Moments I was second to none.
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do.
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born.
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through.
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments.'

'In every person's life, there have been moments, both positive and negative, that have defined and redefined who they are. Those events entered your consciousness with such power that they changed the very core of who and what you thought you were. You were not the same person after that one moment. Although your defining moments may seem trivial to others - you have to remember, if it's shaped you in any way, it's a defining moment.' (Unknown)

Your defining moments are the outlines of your life. Too often we allow sin to be THE defining moment in our life (and the lives of others).

Did God allow sin to be THE defining moment in the history of His creation? No! He put into action a plan to make sure that sin would not have to be THE defining moment in our lives, but rather A defining moment that would reshape us and direct us back toward Him.

Remember, if it has reshaped you in any way it is a defining moment.

Romans 8:1-11

sore athirst

"And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?" (Judges 15:18, KJV)

In the Bible, the seventh book from the front is called Judges. There is a story in chapter fifteen about Samson who judged Israel for 20 years. You probably have heard about the whole "Samson and Delilah" incident (Judges 16). With God's help, Samson actually ripped a jawbone out of a donkey and killed 1000 men who were enemies of God. In all that God did for Samson, the only thing Samson could think about was how thirsty he was. I like the King James rendition which says "sore athirst." But in Eugene Peterson's The Message Judges 15:18 reads,

"Now he was suddenly very thirsty. He called out to God, 'You have given your servant this great victory. Are you going to abandon me to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?'"

I woke up this morning able to get out of bed.
"Thank you God for my health and ability to leave the house?" Nope.
"I hope I am not late for class!"

My children are healthy, laughing and playing in the living room.
"Thank you God for my beautiful children and the blessing of getting to hear them playing?" Nope.
"Jackson, I told you not to...!"

I stuffed myself on spaghetti for dinner tonight.
"Thank you God that I still have a job and get payed?" Nope.
"Did you eat the last brownie?!"

Samson had just won a great victory over a bad people.

However, in a moment of self-focus, Samson called out to God for deliverance once again. And you know what? God "opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived." (Judges 15:19, NIV).

It is easy for me to judge Samson (no pun intended) on his character flaws and his disregard for the One from whom all of his successes came. But I, too, have been sore athirst. I have found myself calling out to God once again for deliverance, taking advantage of His loving nature. And you know what? Time and time again he has sent me relief. He has returned my strength and revived me. It may not be what I expect nor when I expect it. But I have found Him faithful and just. That makes me want to be a better person. I want to honor Him.

Cheers!