Oops!

Yesterday my husband and I actually got to have a date for lunch. Very seldom do we have the chance to go out to eat together, so we were really looking forward to it, and there was a local Japanese restaurant with an all your can eat sushi special we'd been wanting to try.

As we were eating and sharing food, there was a roll Kevin had ordered with mango that I wanted to try. However, just as I was swallowing it, I realized that there was some sort of pepper in it. I am very allergic to any sort of pepper. Quickly swallowing my medicine for allergic reactions, I hoped that perhaps it would not be as bad as I thought, but before long I was coughing, shaking, and my lungs felt like they were being squeezed. Just as I was about to tell him to head to the ER, the reaction leveled off and within 5 minutes was starting to get a little better.

I am usually so careful, and was a little upset with myself that I had not checked the food more carefully. Even though the worst part of the reaction was over fairly quickly, I knew I would feel crummy the rest of the day. It always wipes me out after having a reaction.

I realize that no mater how careful we are in our walk with Christ, we still slip up. There are times that we know we shouldn't do something or feel a certain way, but we find ourselves falling for it before we even knew it was there to tempt us. Yes, it is frustrating, but we are human. No matter how much we want to be perfect, we never will be here in this lifetime. So don't beat yourself up over it, just give in to it, and don't deny it ever happened. No one is perfect, but Jesus Christ our Lord. That is why He is able to save us from those sins. Those people who think they never slip up, or that their slip-ups are nowhere near as bad or important as others are just blind to the fact that sin is sin. Don't let them make you feel worthless. You are a precious jewel to your Father in heaven. It only matters between Him and you. Not you and anyone else.

Just take an extra dose of healing medicine, the Word, and get back to being productive and useful for the Kingdom. Even if you feel crummy about whatever it was, don't let it stop you from living for Christ to the fullest.