Overdoing It

I hate that feeling I get when I eat too much, and that is how I felt last night.

I knew I didn't need that piece of cake when I got home from a big dinner, but it looked so tempting that I had to try it, and that's when it happened.  I felt bloated.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.  - John 15:1-2

In today's Gospel reading from John, Jesus tells us that we need to pare down, to trim off the unproductive parts of our lives and focus on the most fruitful.

Does that mean I should avoid overindulgences?

It wouldn't hurt, I think.  If I want to be ready to act on my faith, I need to be lean and focused in my actions, and metaphorically, that means trimming down the branches that lead to unproductive behavior.

Why overdo it when I can get and stay lean?

Fighting temptation is tough.  Some things just look too appealing to ignore, and that is what leads to that bloated feeling.

I guess if I take a clue from the morning, I will be all right.  In the morning I feel energized and ready for the day, unencumbered or weighed down.

If I remember that bloated feeling I had last night, perhaps I can avoid the temptations of the day, but if I forget, I will be doomed to repeat the sins of the past, and tomorrow, I will be sorry all over again.

So, that is the meaning of today's reading for me.  Trim the fat by avoiding the temptations that lead to it in the first place.  Stay lean and ready to act.

It sounds good now, as I sip my coffee and prepare for the day, but we will see how it goes.

The day is filled with enticing things, waiting to test my ability to resist.  Like the trimmed down vine, I need to grow strong and be resistant to the environment, so that the fruit I bear will be good for me and for all I encounter.

More to come...