The Gluttony of Pickiness

glut·tony noun \ˈglət-nē, ˈglə-tə-nē\: excess in eating or drinking; greedy or excessive indulgence.

       I am a picky eater. My wife says so, my mother said so, my kids say so. I don’t like onions (of any type), peppers, meatloaf, mayo, sweet pickles, olives, mushrooms, cooked carrots, or any McDonalds serves. I do not like them in a boat. I do not like them served with goat. I will not eat them in a pan. I will not eat them with some flan. I am picky.

       I am also picky about things I do like. My coffee has to be just right, bold flavored with just enough half-n-half. I will not tolerate the lesser brands of coffee, no Maxwell House in my house. My waffle fries need to be hot, my sweet tea ice-cold. I will not stand for stale bread, soggy cereal, even slightly cool oatmeal, or wilted lettuce.

       All this pickiness and snobbery is really just gluttony of a most ridiculous kind. I have so much, and so many choices, that I turn up my nose at anything that even remotely offends my senses in any way. I am merely an ungrateful, petulant, selfish child who is only concerned about his needs, wants, and desires. Like Paul I cry out “Oh what a wretched man that I am” but for different reasons. I am wretched in my excess, in my choice, in my demands to be a Burger King Kid and have it my way. Who am I to reject any provision God has placed in front of me?

       What I need to be instead is profoundly grateful for the abundance; sincerely humbled for the opportunity to choose; content with the provision of which I deserve nothing. I am not going to pretend I will suddenly like my long time nemeses of the tuber family - Red Onion and his brothers white, yellow, and green. I am going to think twice about being “offended” when a wonderful meal of any proportion is placed before me.

       I will rejoice in the wonder of God’s provision, the amazing bounds of His love, and the beauty of His creation, even the beauty of the onion. Then maybe I will have the correct perspective of my position on this earth and agree with the Psalmist “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for Him?”