Wendi Barczynski

Savor Your Blessings

(for the pretty version, check out Warrior Stance on Word Press)

Have you ever eaten with someone who wolfs their food down in a matter of minutes and you wonder if they even tasted it as it went through their mouth and down into their stomach? Sometimes, I throw a treat to one of our dogs and GULP its down and gone. They did not even chew it or enjoy it! When I am eating something I do not particularly like, I will try to eat it quickly so the flavor is out of my mouth as soon as I can swallow it. Other times, I have something I really like, such as chocolate ice cream, and I will take my time letting the flavor melt over my tongue and slide down my throat. “What does this have to do with Jesus?” some of you might ask. Well let me tell you…

Recently we closed on our new house. It is such a blessing to be out of the RV (where we lived in for the last four and a half years after we moved from Wisconsin to Tennessee) and into a real house! I learned a lot of lessons over those four and a half years but I wouldn’t go back if you paid me! We recently entertained our first guests. I felt so happt to share what the Lord had blessed us with. It was fun to take them around for the tour and share each room…even our Star Wars themed bathroom. After they left, I was cleaning up and reminiscing over the night. A glow of happiness radiated from my spirit until I started to feel guilty for being so happy. My brain threw jabs at my happiness. “There are so many people in the world who are hurting and sad. How can you be so happy at a time like this?” “Some people who are very close to you are struggling with serious problems and here you are enjoying in such a frivolous night.” The realization of those thoughts put a damper on my euphoria. I finished cleaning up with that little storm cloud hanging over me.

As I prayed about this, the Lord told me to “savor” the blessings I am experiencing right now. It was okay to be happy with what he has blessed us with. It was okay to celebrate this victory that we have been waiting so long for. I looked up a definition of savor and this is what I found:

“to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible"

“taste (good food or drink) and enjoy it completely”

I felt a release. God was saying it was totally normal and acceptable for me to experience this blessing slowly in order to enjoy it as much as possible…to enjoy it completely. In fact, I daresay that it is entirely acceptable to “savor” this gift from my Heavenly Father. When I give something to one of my children or grandchildren, I get such joy watching them “ooos” and “aaahhhhs” over it. Seeing them find joy in whatever makes my momma/grandma heart smile. God, our Father is no different. He loves seeing us enjoy what he gives us. Our thankfulness and excitement blesses the Lord.

Mulling over this idea of savoring God’s blessings made me realize that it was the enemy that tried to take the joy out of my blessing. He will do whatever he can to redirect our attention and thoughts so that God will not be blessed…so that we will not find joy…so that the flow of blessing is stopped before others can find joy in it too. It becomes spiritual battle and for us to be victorious, we need to learn to “savor” the things of God which includes

his blessings,
his Word (the Bible),
his personal revelation to us while we pray and worship,
and even a message shared from one of our brothers or sisters in Christ (as long as it lines up with God’s word!).

David extols us to “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8 NIV) So what does that exactly mean and how do we put this into practice in our lives?

I love what The Bible Hub says regarding this scripture: “The psalmist transforms a culinary verb into an act of covenant trust. The worshipper is called to personal encounter, sampling the LORD’s faithfulness the way one samples nourishing food. The New Testament echoes this dynamic in 1 Peter 2:3 (“now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”), uniting both covenants around experiential knowledge of God.”

Covenant Trust! I love this! I realize that as I savor this blessing of a new home, it helps me realize how much Jesus loves me and how good my Heavenly Father is. It shows me that I am worthy of being loved and cared for. These truths need to take root in my heart because there will be another valley down the road. I will once again go through a trying time. It is in those storms and valleys that I grow the most. If I have truly taken time to “savor” these mountain top moments, I will be able to hold on to them as I walk through the shadow of darkness that we face in our valleys. I made it through once and I can again with the help of God.

I came across these quotes about savoring life that I think we can pull some truth out of. These are not necessarily Christian authors, but there are some gems in their words that I would like to pick out.

“The way to develop the habit of savoring is to pause when something is beautiful and good and catches our attention – the sound of rain, the look of the night sky – the glow in a child’s eyes, or when we witness some kindness. Pause… then totally immerse in the experience of savoring it.” Tara Brach

Here are some tips I’ve found that can help us “savor” the things from God so that we will be ready to fight through our valleys and storms.

Pause. Too many times we miss moments of savoring because we forget to pause and take the moment to consciously acknowledge God’s blessings and goodness. If the enemy can keep us busy and distracted, he can keep us from those moments that were meant to infuse us with the strength to resist him. If we fail to resist our enemy, we give him victory in our lives.

When I have a good piece of chocolate, I like to close my eyes and just enjoy the moment of all that flavor bursting in my mouth. If I just throw that piece of candy into my mouth while I am cleaning house and thinking about my grocery list, I have missed out on an immensely pleasurable moment because my mind is distracted by all the worries and duties of my day. So true with our Christian walk. If we do not pause and savor the blessings from God – especially our love relationship with him. The Bible tells us to “Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalms 46:10 NIV) An attitude of gratitude is an amazing weapon when fighting the enemy.

Totally immerse yourself. The author of the above quote may not have had Jesus in mind when composing those lines, but it is extremely applicable to our Christian walk. If we do not totally immerse ourselves in a life with Jesus, we are missing out on savoring the intense flavor woven into a life in Christ. Someday I would love to take a vacation to a foreign country and totally immerse myself in their culture. It means eating their foods, living life they way they do, sleeping the way they do, shopping the way they do, cooking the way they do. It’s the only way to really experience life in that culture. Only by totally immersing yourself in the Christian life can you really experience God in a way that changes you, blesses you, and brings you into the fullness of what he has for you! Don’t be afraid to surrender…it is a sweet surrender!!

“Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments.” -Wayne Dyer

Value. When we put value on something, we treat it differently. We protect it. We keep it safe. We find joy in it.We want to share it with those we love. It is not just a common, every day thing. It is something that we cherish.

I have a grandson that loves rocks. He sees something amazing about a common rock that he finds on the ground. They are treasures to him. He keeps them in a safe place. He likes to show them to us and expound on why they are so amazing. I felt very honored when he gave me one. It was part of a geode that had been broken open, exposing the crystal beauty inside. I keep it on my dresser and every time I see it, I realize how precious it is and how precious I am because my grandson was willing to share it with me. Our Lord is so valuable! He not only loves us but is willing to lower himself and come to us as a human and then die for us so that we can spend eternity with him. I value this revelation and let myself savor the beauty of his love and the gifts he has given me.

Fellow warrior, I want to use John Piper’s words for my challenge to you today:

“From eternity to eternity, the beauty of God is pervasive and practical. Ask him to open the eyes of your heart (Ephesians 1:18). Give your life to this quest – seeing and savoring more and more of the happifying beauty of God.” -John Piper

Take time to savor Jesus and the blessings he has poured into your life. It will equip you for the next battle that WILL come your way. During your savoring, remember that Jesus has already won the war. Just be faithful to him through all that you encounter and you will be a victorious warrior!