There I was sitting at the table all alone. I was around 5 years old. In front of me sat a bowl of oatmeal. All I had to do was eat it. My brothers had eaten theirs. My parents had eaten theirs. But I had stubbornly sat there silently protesting. Why would they make me eat this I asked myself? They know that I don’t like oatmeal. How could anyone truly like oatmeal? I thought to myself.
By this point, I was completely alone in the kitchen. Everyone else had moved on to something else. I knew I wasn’t allowed to leave the table until I had finished my oatmeal. But I just couldn’t do it. It was at this moment that I made a very bad decision. With no one watching (or so I thought) I slipped from the table with my bowl in hand and headed down the hallway to the garage. I stepped outside and quickly scraped the contents of the bowl behind a bush. Quietly I slinked back to my seat at the table and called, “Daddy I’m done."
My dad came in, looked at my bowl, and asked, “Did you eat your oatmeal?” To which I sheepishly lied “yes.” He then asked me to follow him. I thought this was a little strange but I got up and walked behind him as he headed down the hallway, into the garage, through the door, and then pointed behind the bush at my pathetic pile of incriminating evidence.
“Andre, is this your oatmeal?”
I wasn’t even able to answer as I burst into tears.
He walked me back to the table. Refilled my bowl and set it in front of me. Without a word I took my spoon and slowly but surely ate every bite from that bowl.
Dilemmas In Our Lives
When we face dilemmas in our life it may often seem that no one is watching and it may be tempting to take the easy way out — to simply disregard or ignore the issue. But will this solve the dilemma? Will this allow you to succeed the next time around? And when we take a shortcut or compromise on our morals, does that help us in the long run? Our Father in heaven is ready to help us. He has promised to send the Holy Spirit to us each day if we just ask.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him or knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
Jesus has promised that we will never face something greater than what we can overcome with His help.
“But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
And what is even more amazing is that He will graciously forgive us no matter how many times we fail.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Now some of you may be wondering, as I did so long ago, do I really need to be eating oatmeal anyway? Having wondered this myself on many occasions I decided to do some digging.
Here are eight facts about oats that you may find interesting — oats are:
- Incredibly nutritious containing a balance of carbs (high in fiber), fat, and protein
- Loaded with vitamins manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, and folate
- Rich in antioxidants
- Can lower cholesterol levels
- Can improve blood sugar averages
- Filling and may help you lose weight
- High in fiber and often help with constipation
- Can help you sleep better — due to tryptophan and serotonin effects
So I guess oats really are quite impressive and my parents knew what they were doing after all!
After learning all of this I decided to make oatmeal a regular part of my diet. I have experimented with different toppings, mixing, and types of milk, and I recommend you do the same. My favorite way to make it is with oat milk cooked with chopped dates, pecans, apples, and a pinch of cinnamon. And the truth is that I actually enjoy it quite a bit! No longer am I fertilizing a shrub next to the garage, but instead, I’m often heading back to the stove for a second helping.
Call to Action
Next time you're faced with a dilemma, remember to turn to Jesus and not take the easy way out.
Jesus will help, you just have to ask!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All right reserved.
