The Burrito Incident
My conversation isn’t done yet, but I’ve got this glowing ember of a burrito in my hand that I have to get back to my classroom somehow. So what would you do? If you’re smart, you won’t do what I did.
Like most of the really stupid things I have done in my life, the burrito incident can be filed under “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Circle K was having a special deal. If you bought a 44 ounce soda you got a free burrito. Pretty cool. If there is anything I like better than a burrito, it’s a free burrito. I would stop by Circle K on my way to work for an iced tea and a burrito. When lunch time rolled around, I would warm up my burrito in the microwave. Pretty mundane for the most part.
I went to the preschool to warm up my burrito and began talking to Kelly and Janice, the teachers. While we weretalking I lost track of how long my burrito was in the microwave. Now, I must admit, I don’t like hot food. I love spicy food, but I don’t like stuff that is fresh from the oven hot. Well, the burrito cooked longer than I wanted it to, so when I took it out of the oven it kind of glowed. I picked it up and my brain relayed the message, “Let go of that, stupid. It’s too hot!”
My conversation isn’t done yet, but I’ve got this glowing ember of a burrito in my hand that I have to get back to my classroom somehow. So what would you do? If you’re smart, you won’t do what I did.
I stuck it my pocket.
Like most men, I have parts of my body that I’m pretty protective of. That whole pocket area is one of them. I don’t really understand the thought process that went into the decision to put a burrito that was way too hot for my hand into an area that is a lot more sensitive.
It took a while for me to realize that my groin area was in immediate danger of being incinerated. I may be stupid, but I make up for it by being slow. When my brain finally got the message to the rest of me that we were in danger I grabbed the burrito out of my pocket and threw it on the counter.
Here’s the worst part. Kelly and Janice had watched me put the burrito in my pocket and knew it was a bad idea from the start. And they’re not even guys! When the burrito flew out of my pocket and onto the counter, they knew exactly why. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what a goofy thing I had done.
I wish I could tell you that this was the only stupid thing I’ve ever done, but that wouldn’t be totally honest. Remember leisure suits? Mine was powder blue. I once went on a cabbage soup diet that had horrible results on my intestinal tract, anybody within a five mile radius can attest to that fact! I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I tried it anyway. Why? Because I wanted to. Because I thought the benefit of losing 10 pounds easily outweighed any risk. I was wrong.
When we think that we can somehow get away with our sin, we’re wrong. Let’s be honest, most of the sins we commit are pretty stupid. We know they will hurt us, but we do them anyway. Why? Because we want to. Because deep down inside, we are rebellious little children.
We get so caught up in the pleasures of our sins that we forget to count the cost. Do you think that alcoholics woke up one morning and decided to become alcoholics? No, it was a gradual slide. One drink led to another, which eventually led to one too many.
Sin has a way of catching up with us. We think we’re doing okay, but like the burrito in my pocket, we slowly get the idea that we are in danger.
So how do we conquer sin? We can’t do it on our own. We are powerless against temptation without God’s help. Ask heroin addicts or alcoholics how hard it is to kick their addictions. We must acknowledge that we are all sin addicts, and the only way to kick the sin habit is with Jesus.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36 NIV)
Jesus alone has the power to set us free. All you have to do is ask Him, and He will help. It’s His job! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a slave to anything or anybody.
In the meantime, I am lining my pockets with asbestos for the next time I have to transport my lunch. You can never be too careful!
Thanks for listening… Jerry