Making Soup

Yesterday was a play day.  My little buddy Bobby came over. Bobby is 2, with a quick smile that lights up his face, tons of energy, and an easy-going attitude.  When Bobby comes to my house, he makes soup.  Soup is evidently a very difficult thing to create.  It takes lots of pans to make soup.  In fact, it takes every pan I own!  

Do you remember when you were young?  Do you remember those days when you were caught up in the imaginary world you had created?  Do you remember the feeling of pure delight of just living in the moment and believing you were really doing what wasn’t real?  

I have a vivid memory of my sisters and I taking turns riding the bike one sunny afternoon.  I’m not sure why we only had one bike that day, but we were playing and sharing.  One of us would ride the bike around the block (and it was a BIG BLOCK) and as each of us returned to the house, we would tell the others a story of what happened on our adventure bike ride.  I don’t remember the stories of the day, but I do remember the fun we had creating and imagining and sharing.  

When my buddy Bobby isn’t at my house, I’m not entertained making soup.  It’s only with Bobby that making soup is so entrancing.  Bobby believes he is making soup.  He’s invested, he’s living the moment, and his soup is delicious!  

I think that’s how God wants me to live. The Bible tells me that God wants to give all of us abundant life. The word abundant is not a pansy word.  It’s a word that draws a huge painting, loaded with color and activity. It’s a word that leads one toward excitement, anticipation, and bursting hope.   God longs for me to live each day with the wonder and joy of living, just like when Bobby is making soup.  I am reminded that it’s not always about producing something amazing, it’s about living an amazing, abundant experience called life.  

I’m not necessarily making soup today, but as I loaded my dishwasher, I remembered how much fun it had been. I remembered that Bobby was invested, and he believed what he was doing. I’m not spending today playing, creating, imagining or doing anything that would make someone else envious. I’m doing every-day mundane activities like the checkbook and laundry. I am also believing that my day is loaded with color, wonder, and bursting with hope. Today I am living an abundant life, the abundant God life, and the experience is delicious!