This post was prompted by The Daily Post.  Their prompt word posts are to help writers block and this is the first one I’ve participated in and the word is ‘pamper’.  This will be a “my brain is taking all the detours and I am just typing what comes to mind.  Down the rabbit hole of my mind we go…

Pamper.  A word.  At first glance of this word that popped up on my Reader Feed I automatically thought of Pampers which made me think of babies.  Babies.  Everyone is having them.  Everyone is moving forward except me.  “Ok, focus Aimee…this is not going to be a post about your life crisis.”

Pamper.  Pampers.  Babies.  My sweet, chubby cheeked little cousin.  It made me think of sweet baby laughs and smiles and how wonderful they are to hear.  Babies are so innocent and totally dependent and we are to take care of them.  Diapers are soft which makes sense because pampering means to take care of yourself so you’re ‘pampering your baby’.  That led to what we use to comfort ourselves as adults.  As Christians are we supposed to pamper ourselves?  My first thought of pampering was women getting their hair and nails done and going to the salon and spending money.  You’re instantaneously comforting yourself, but it’s a quick fix.  Your hair grows out and the nail polish wears off and you have to go back to get it re done.  It’s an endless money pit as in it is not really productively being used except for vanity sake.

Now, I don’t get my hair or nails done as that isn’t my priority.  I mean, looking at me proves that point enough, but I’m just not into that.  Spending time outside automatically highlights my hair with red tints and I bite my nails.  But, I do get hair cuts (my friend from high school is the only person allowed to touch my head and if I ever moved she’d have to come with me).  How do I pamper myself?  We all have things to take care of in this life.  I mean, sure, you could take a leave of absence from life and avoid responsibilities if you really want to.  I’m not sure that’s a good idea and would probably lead to depression from avoiding your problems… A lot of people run to different things.  Are there levels to pampering?  People talk about ‘me time’.  As an introvert caregiver I realized how precious being alone is.  You are constantly pouring yourself into someone else’s needs overlooking your own.  That also goes for anyone really….whether you are a parent, nurse, or someone’s boss (a good boss), own your own company…etc.  We all need relief.

I am an anxious person.  I have realized not everyone’s brains are constantly filled with noise.  I think that’s great and I can’t imagine what that’s like.  As a joke I’ve said I wished God made me a guy because the ones I’ve met are so laid back and they don’t seem to worry about all the things.  I can’t imagine a brain where nothing is going on.  (God is really working on me!!!)

I like baking.  I get to be alone and get to control the environment.  I control what goes in the bowl and get to shape it.  It’s a nice feeling.  I also like baking over cooking because baking is precise.  Cooking has a lot of leeway.  With baking if you add too much baking powder or baking soda the whole thing is ruined.  I currently don’t have a car (as mentioned later) so I am learning to cook because what else am I going to do??  Cooking is a way to let go because it really is out of my comfort zone.  With baking it’s made with sugar so you can’t really screw up sugar.  Cooking has to have flavor and there is more pressure to get it right.  Am I crazy?  Anyway…

For a while I turned to exercising as an outlet. I still do exercise, but I have a much healthier view toward it now.  That can only go so far because if you get injured or push yourself too much the stress from having to rest really builds up.  You still need an outlet for your outlet.  That’s why people pamper themselves with drugs and alcohol.  Food is one of the most powerful drugs.  (Try to take away my chocolate…)

“WHAT? KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YE HAVE OF GOD, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN?  FOR YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD’S.”
– 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20

But, are we supposed to?

Where does it say to take up your cross and pamper yourself?

As a Christian comfort is to come from God.  He sent the comforter, the Holy Spirit…

“BUT THE COMFORTER, WHICH IS THE HOLY GHOST, WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, AND BRING ALL THINGS TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE, WHATSOEVER I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU.” – JOHN 14:26

“I CALLED UPON THE LORD IN DISTRESS:
THE LORD ANSWERED ME, AND SET ME IN A LARGE PLACE.” – PSALM 118:5

When children are growing up everything is new to them.  They haven’t processed their emotions.  When they fall they might get hurt.  Who do they run to?  Well, normally their mother.  Mothers are naturally created to be the nurturer.  They are who run the household and probably the ones the kids see more of so they naturally run to who takes care of them.  I could be holding one of my little cousins and if something happens they get off my lap to go find their Mom.  (I mean, I would to.)  But, it’s not that I’m stupid and couldn’t take care of them.  They trust their Mom.  That is who they know will fix everything.  They are the ones who kiss their boo boos and comfort them in the night when they are scared.  They pamper them.

It’s the same with God.  He wants to pamper us.  When something goes wrong or we are in a waiting season and don’t get what we desire yet what do we do?  We are to run to Him with our troubles.  He wants them.  He wants to kiss our boo boos.  He wants us to fully depend on Him.  Don’t run to your idols.  Don’t run to the comforts of this life.  Run to Him.

I have mentioned how I turned my life anxiety into reading my bible and stressing because I needed to read the entire thing at one time.  Yes, I know.  That is a hard thing to do.  Jumping from book to book, but God has it set up that they all come together.  They all point to one thing: Jesus.  He is in total control.  It’s so comforting.  Why do I stress out so bad???

In Exodus, God is proving Himself to the Israelites.  He wants them to see that He is not a God made of silver or gold.  He is not a thing.  He is the Creator and sits in the Heavens.  He was not created.  He does all of these signs and wonders to prove who He is and to cast down the idols and gods they learned about when they were in bondage in Egypt.  Put them away.  “I AM”

In Hosea he has the metaphor of what Israel looks like by using a concrete example of Hosea’s wife running to other lovers.  She was an adulterer.  But, God told Hosea to go get his wife back and know he is her love.  That’s how much God loves His people and His church.  Stop running to other lovers.  Run to Him.  He cares about you.  He always takes care of your needs.  You don’t need all of these things.

“THEN SAID THE LORD UNTO ME, GO YET, LOVE A WOMAN BELOVED OF HER FRIEND, YET AN ADULTERESS, ACCORDING TO THE LOVE OF THE LORD TOWARD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHO LOOK TO OTHER GODS, AND LOVE FLAGONS OF WINE.  SO I BOUGHT HER TO ME FOR FIFTEEN PIECES OF SILVER, AND FOR AN HOMER OF BARLEY, AND AN HALF HOMER OF BARLEY: AND I SAID UNTO HER, THOU SHALT ABIDE FOR ME MANY DAYS; THOU SHALT NOT PLAY THE HARLOT, AND THOU SHALT NOT BE FOR ANOTHER MAN: SO WILL I ALSO BE FOR THEE.  FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL ABIDE MANY DAYS WITHOUT A KING, AND WITHOUT A PRINCE, AND WITHOUT A SACRIFICE, AND WITHOUT AN IMAGE, AND WITHOUT AN EPHOD, AND WITHOUT TERAPHIM:

AFTERWARD SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RETURN, AND SEEK THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND DAVID THEIR KING; AND SHALL FEAR THE LORD AND HIS GOODNESS IN THE LATTER DAYS.”

-HOSEA 3

I currently don’t have a car.  I have not had one for a year and 2 weeks.  I mentioned that in my Enjoying the Ride (which sounds ironic…) post that doesn’t seem that long ago that I wrote it.  I still don’t have a car and it has been a growing year for me spiritually.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the whole world.  God has taught me what I need and don’t need.  Not having a car means you can’t just get up and run place to place when you get aggravated.  I am learning what it truly means to be content.  Content in Jesus.  Stop running to other things.  It does sound insane and most people don’t understand and can’t fathom living without a car.  A year ago I couldn’t imagine living without a car. My car became such a money pit and eventually I was afraid to drive over the bridge because I didn’t want it to break down.  That led to not venturing far so God was slowly taking my ‘running’ away.  I have learned to do with what I have and spent the last year studying God’s word.  It has been one of the greatest adventures of my life.  While I may not look like I do much and my life is the same on the outside God has completely wrecked my heart and flipped it all around.  I am not the same on the inside.  So, my circumstances look the same, but how I deal with things are completely different.  I rely on God.  I need Jesus.  He is my comfort.  He is truly all anyone needs.  Things come and things go.  Jesus stays.  He comforts.  Run to Him.  What if you lost your money?  What if you lost your car?  What if you couldn’t pamper yourself?  What if all you had was Jesus?  Would He be enough?  It’s easy to say He is when you have things that you can externally run to for comfort.  But, what if you couldn’t run to?

Is He really enough?

Trust when I say I am aware of my current situation in life.

Link to Waiting on God post.