Though I’ve never read the book or seen the movie, one of the thoughts that crossed my mind last week as I walked around during our Homecoming meal was the title of Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 work, which became a movie in 2010, Eat, Pray, Love. In the movie, Julia Roberts portrays Gilbert after a divorce, which turns her world upside down and catapults her into a worldwide search for significance. This search takes her to Italy, India, and Indonesia, hoping to discover meaning and happiness as she attempts to reshape her life via “good food, spirituality, and true love” (thank you, Netflix, for the catchy tagline).
While Italy is definitely on my bucket list, I realized as I was enjoying way too much of the home-cooking and visiting with each of you that I don’t have to search the world over for any of the above. God’s provided it right here at First Baptist.
EAT
I know we don’t always share church-wide meals together, but 1) when we do, it’s A-MAY-ZING! and 2) as Julie and I have gotten to share meals with many of you in our Church Family, that table has been such a valuable place for us to find and form incredible friend ships (and for those whom we haven’t yet, just let us know; we’re already looking forward to it).
PRAY
I’m not sure what she found in the movie, but I do know the incredible gift we’ve been given. Because of Christ, and by the power of His Holy Spirit living in us, we can enter the presence of our Heavenly Father through prayer. And not just on Wednesday nights (though I cannot urge you enough to join us each week at 6:30). Not just on Wednesday nights. Every day. All day. Any time. With anything. Ephesians 6:18.
LOVE
I join with Paul, who prayed “… that you, being rooted and established in [God’s] love, may have power [the kind prayer makes available to us] together with all the Lord’s holy people [that’s us], to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge [it’s an experience!] that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Week after week, Church Family, I find myself filled! And not just with brisket and mac-n-cheese…