Stuff About Things
Over-eating becomes an occupational hazard for preachers — especially for those in meeting work — so when our hostess asked if she might serve a late-night snack I replied with emphasis, "I couldn't eat a thing!"
"We have some rolls," she coaxed. "Not a thing — not a thing," I said, with a firmness of which I was proud.
'What about a piece of pie? Cheese and crackers? A cup of coffee??" And I became more obstinate, "Please, I do not want any thing to eat!!"
And then she said, 'We have a big freezer of home-made peach ice-cream!"
Well, everybody knows that homemade peach ice-cream is not a "thing" — it is a spirit. We had some homemade peach ice-cream.
Later, painfully reflecting upon my vices — (resolutions come easiest following indulgence — a drunkard makes his finest resolutions while his head throbs and the "bite" lingers) — I tried to analyze the situation. Where did I go wrong — how can I strengthen my defenses?
The hostess — she is very helpful now. that the damage is done — says this just points up the basic difference in the viewpoint of men and women. "A woman would just shrug her shoulder and say, "I have changed my mind; I'll take some ice-cream." But no! A man must rationalize. A man must justify his former position. All that stuff about "home-made peach ice-cream is not a "thing" — it is spirit" -- Really!!"
You will notice that with either sex she manages to get her way — they eat the homemade peach ice-cream.
On the other hand, maybe this (wouldn't you know it) skinny little hostess has a point. The human race is filled with self-justifying individuals, determined to satisfy their appetites for food, drink, pride, and their own way in the church, who would "bust a hame" before they would admit they were wrong, or had changed.
There is no easy way to reduce — or to solve other life problems. If they were easy to conquer they wouldn't be problems. The church grows fat with worldliness because brethren think they can be Christian soldiers without fighting the good fight. Sunday resolutions are nullified by weekday snacks