From Teaspoons to Serving Spoons

"This spoon isn't big enough," my son, Elliot, said.  "I need a bigger spoon."

"Then get one," Anna told him.  "You know where the spoons are."

"OK," said Elliot and went over to the silverware drawer in search of a spoon larger than your standard issue teaspoon.  In a few moments he returned.

"Elliot, that's way too big!"  Anna told him.  She was right.  Elliot had gotten a very large serving spoon out of the drawer to eat his soup.

"It's not too big, it's just right!"  He told her, unconsciously quoting the famous philosopher Goldilocks.  He proceeded to eat his chili with said serving spoon, contorting his mouth in odd ways the whole time.

It probably is not a unique observation to me that people tend to fluctuate between extremes.  Someone who has just burned their tongue on McDonald's coffee runs to soothe it with ice cream.  The couch potato who hasn't exercised seriously for three years gets a bad report at his doctor and goes home to put on jogging pants and attempts to get through a mini-marathon.

While our human tendency is to fluctuate between opposite ends of the spectrum, our psyches don't deal well that.  An emotional roller coaster of a life is bound to wear most of us out.

The prophet Elijah experienced such ups and downs.  He went from defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel to fleeing for his life in a few days. 

It was at that time that God lead him out into the desert and explained a few things to him.  Elijah wasn't alone.  He still had a purpose and God would give him the strength he needed to fulfil that purpose.

I think that's what we need to hear when we come crashing down from Cloud Nine into the deepest dungeon.

God is the same God in times of intense highs or deep lows.  He still has a purpose for you and me and will give us the strength to fulfil that purpose.  We are not alone.

Let's just not make the mistake of exchanging our teaspoons for a serving spoon.