by Janet Perez Eckles

With Joe, my two-year-old, propped on my right hip, I chatted at the end of our driveway with my next door neighbor.  My three- and five-year-olds played with other kids on the lawn. After several minutes, I gasped, “Oh, got to go. My pancakes are cooking.”

My friend wrinkled her nose. “Pancakes?” She was baffled. If pancakes had been cooking this long, how could they not be burned?

Once at the table, my kids dug their forks into a mound of thick, dark pancakes. They took 20 minutes to cook because I made them with whole-wheat flour and even sprinkled bran for a good dose of fiber.

My oldest licked his lips. “Yum. Can I have more honey?”

“Me too,” his younger brother chimed in.

But the family’s healthy eating was challenged when the kids visited a friend’s home. For the first time, much to their liking, they tasted “real pancakes.”

Most of my friends knew of my crazy ways about nutrition. They thought cookies made of whole wheat and carob chips were strange, but I didn’t give up.

In a similar way, when it comes to spiritual food, God doesn’t give up either. He offers a large tray of food that’s good for our souls, but we’re not always receptive. Often, we pass right by His tray and choose the junk food of life. I’ve done it and you probably have too.

Whether in public or in the hidden closet of our heart, we may take a bite of the tension that wraps around the economic crisis. We may munch on the fear that accompanies the day’s gloomy news. We may even have choked when swallowing the foreclosure or layoff news. And don’t forget those deadly snacks of personal issues that cause added indigestion of the soul.

All of this is served to us in the platter of life. No wonder heartburn is at an all-time high. And it has little to do with the stomach. It’s all about the anxiety of the heart.

God knows that. He really does. And He invites us to taste and see His goodness. Believe me when I tell you that it’s His goodness that’s enough to carry us through life’s potentially agonizing episodes. His goodness is enough to provide strength to fill out that umpteenth job application. His character—good and faithful—is more than enough to bring peace to long sleepless nights. His limitless goodness always trumps the pile of bills or the uncertainty of tomorrow. And the security of His promises is great enough to sustain us through heartaches and disappointments.

God has prepared the banquet of reassurance. And with a ladle of love, He dishes good portions of confidence—the confidence we need in the midst of a shaky world.

By some standards, I was kind of weird years ago as a young mom. Time swept by, the kids got older, and I grew wiser. But as they inched into adulthood, I continued filling their plates with servings from God’s banquet. God invites you to savor the purity of His Word and the power of His Truth. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

Janet Eckles, who lost her eyesight several years ago, is a regular Connected columnist. Check out her blog at www.janetperezeckles.com.