A Full Plate

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? Ecclesiastes 2: 24-25 (NIV)

With Veteran’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, my office was closed on Monday. Since I spent the real Veteran’s Day at a parade and honoring our servicemen and women, and because I cleaned house on Saturday, Monday was the gift of a day off with no obligations. I love a holiday like that. No presents to buy, no family dinners to prepare. My husband had to work and youngest son had school, so what was Mom to do? Call some friends, go out for lunch and an afternoon of shopping! We wanted to go to Southern Hospitality, a combination furniture and craft store in Plant City so we headed to Fred’s Market, a home-style restaurant with a great buffet, for lunch. They had everything from fried green tomatoes to carrot soufflé and peach cobbler and lemon pie for dessert. Yummy! I started out well. I got small servings of each of the vegetables, but there were so many to choose from that I filled one plate completely up before I discovered the chicken pot pie. So, I had to get a bowl of that. Then, I realized I missed the corn bread and rolls, so got another plate. By the time, I was done, I had eaten a lot more than I planned. It was all very tasty, but I overindulged. During the meal, we discussed everything from how hard it is to find a doctor who will listen and take seriously a woman’s middle aged complaints to alternating bragging and bemoaning the trials of motherhood. We discussed our work, our gardens, our home improvement projects and our husbands. We laughed, cried and consoled each other. Through it all, we ate and ate! The one common thread of our conversation was the need for balance in our lives. I am considering taking on an additional ministry and know that in order to do it, I will have to let some things go. If there is one thing I have learned in my almost fifty years, it is that I cannot be superwoman no matter how hard I try. If I take on too much, I start dropping some of the balls that I juggle. Unlike the buffet table, my life is limited to a single plate of food. If I want to add another serving of carrot soufflé, there is no room for chicken pot pie. I have to make choices about what is best. The One who can help me be wise about how I use my time and the talents He has given me is God. He knows where I will be most effective, where I will find the most joy and if I listen to His calling, I will have just enough to bring fulfillment to my life. When it comes to food, however, I will probably always be prone to indulge. The hostess at Fred’s Market was kind enough to give me the recipe for the carrot soufflé. Guess what we are having for Thanksgiving?