The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Ask any butcher: trimming the fat off a beef or a deer is essential to the prime cuts of meat. Some butchers just throw away the excess fat; others use it in other places, like in burger. Others even give the fat away or sell it to candle makers or other crafts that require the waxy substance. That being said, native tribes from around the globe use every part of the animal. Especially the nomads way up north who rely on the fatty substance to survive. But even we meat lovers say, “A little fat is where the flavor is” as we gnaw on a white, greasy, chewy piece. Sorry to all you vegetarians out there.

Dieters, on the other hand, want to get rid of the fat any way possible. Exercise, dieting, healthy living is a more and more common thing these days. From fasts, to shakes, to cleanses, high protein to veggies only. There are many ways to lose that blubber in the middle. But it seems very difficult. At least for me, it seemed so easy to put the added weight on and so difficult to melt it away. I like food. OK, I admit it. Trimming the fat on me seems so difficult; no, it is difficult. But it is essential to me living longer, I know. So it’s time for us all to put the burn in and eat better. Before we know it, we’ll be regular fat-burning machines.

There is another place in our lives where the fat can be trimmed. I talked about our meats and our bodies, but there is a more important spot we must trim: our souls. Meaning the things in our lives that we don’t need but are comfortable with and like, even though we know they are most likely a burden for us or even a sin. Things like addiction are the most common things that jump to mind, and we often think of drugs and alcohol first. There are others too. Yes, those are good things to eliminate from your lives, but I am going deeper today. The question is, “What are you doing that is preventing you from looking God in the face?” Ok, is that too deep for you? How about this: What are you doing in private that you don’t want anyone else to know about? These are the things that are effectively destroying ourselves, communities and, ultimately, our country, one individual secret at a time.

Trimming the fat? It is not fun, but it was fun putting it on. If it wasn’t fun then we would not be here right now. The time is now to not only get our food healthy and our bodies’ healthy but to also take a good look at our spiritual lives and put the torch to that too. Time to remove those burdens of lies and deceit, and get back to looking for guidance from our Father and not the entitlement of “I can do what I want; it’s not hurting anyone.” It is hurting someone. You. Hey, I wouldn’t say these things if I wasn’t in the boat with you. I am there too. None of us is perfect but we must strive to be perfect. This is between you and the Creator of heaven and earth, an unseen force unlike none you have ever seen. And when you do get to experience his love, grace and strength, you start to wonder, “How did I ever get this far?” The time is right now, today, this very hour. Time to trim some fat from our sinful nature and get back to where our Savior wants us to be. There is no place private enough that He cannot see us, and there is no hole deep enough that He cannot pull us out.

Make the world a better place one individual decision at a time.