A spoonful of sugar

credit: kappy.net

     A thought came to me today. Everybody has heard the little dity "A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down" from Mary Poppins sometime or another. In fact, you've probably cringed inside when you heard someone humming it because you knew you were going to get it stuck in your head. (That would be my lot in life, at least.)

     It's just a song, but I think its also the philosophy of some people, even myself, at times. As Americans,we live busy lives. Whether I'm at college or home, there is always something to do, and people to deal with. We sometimes see the mundane, routine, and even the situations we have to deal with as medicine: something that is good for us, (we hope), but something that tastes bad. Likewise, we see the little reprieves in our week, like a church service or prayer hour, as that "spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down." Can you relate?

     This philosophy may work for you. But if your life is anything like mine, you get a lot more medicine than sugar, and the sugar is completely lost in the taste of the medicine. I work in a rougher part of town with and among those that don't use the best vocabulary. It can be dangerous: last week we had a shooting across the street. A spoonful of sugar? I need more like a truckload of it!

     Maybe your job isn't as "risky" as mine, but maybe its just things you don't like to deal with, people, or even your family. And the medicine "tastes bad."

     The question is, should we really look at the good things in life as sugar, and the bad things as medicine? Is this really how God sees things? I don't think so. This philosophy could also be called compartmentalization, which means that you separate your "spiritual life," from your "physical life," or "real" life. In other words, "I can get a recharge at church or while I pray so I can go survive for the rest of the week." What? Treating church or prayer like a 5-hour energy shot? The danger here is that some then conclude they can do whatever they want to outside of church as long as they have their "spiritual time."
However, God's presence is with us all the time, 24/7. The Psalmist said in Psalm 139:7-10:
     "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

     God is always with us. This is something I pray throughout the day, "Lord, help me to remember that Your presence is always with me." And, He does. I can't always feel Him, but I know He is there. That is what will stand out to your coworkers, when you live in His presence, wherever you are, in every situation. That's more than a spoonful of sugar, it something I can live on, something that lasts.

Comments? Feel free!