Donut

The line was long…too long.  I could spot the best treats still in the box, yet there must have been 13 hungry men, or more, taking up the space in front of me.  I could try to cut in line by pretending that I knew someone further up…or attempt to put on the façade that I am actually a part of a “different” team.  However, my purple and black, Little Falls Wrestling coach’s shirt may have given me away.  My years of coaching wrestling always left me struck by the irony of how a sport that demands weight management could offer such a smorgasbord of the most amazing foods and sweets for coaches during tournaments.  The layouts of delicacies were enough to make my, then 250lb, belly giddy.

I did my best to stay patient as I followed the other Little Falls coaches in line.  I was lowest on the pecking order…thus, despite my massive size…my position remained last.  One by one, the donuts of glory were being snatched up.  First to go were the cream filled long johns…followed by the raspberry bismarks.  The chocolate glazed copa banana’s were gone with 8 people still ahead of me.  The honeymoons, cinnamon twists and bearclaws were all eliminated next.  Several of these men were taking multiple grand confections at a time! As I approached the box…only the assistant coach stood before me.  I watched…and was mortified as he took the final, strawberry cream cheese bismark…leaving me with a half smashed, crumbly, plain cake donut.  My tears made the already sorry looking donut appear that much worse through the blurred vision and now soaked with salty moisture.

We made our way to the nearby tables and sat down with our baked items and our cups of cheap, weak coffee.  I consumed the pile of crumbs from my plate and looked to see that the final strawberry cream cheese bismark still remained on the man’s plate…un-touched.  

I wanted that donut.  I could imagine the flavor! My chubby belly longed to be filled with the smooth cream cheese icing and the perfect blend of fried dough and strawberries. I needed it…I desired it…I had to have it! I was drawn to it.  I would do almost anything to consume it. 

Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore…

“Are you going to finish that?!” I blurted out.

“What…the donut?...I haven’t even had a bite yet.”

“Yeah…I know…are you going to finish it?”

“I plan on it.”

“I don’t think that you should…look at you…you are so skinny and trim…do you know how many fats are in something like that?  It is filled with sugar…and butter…and lard…and the cream cheese icing is one of the worst things for you…maybe you should just let me have it…I am already fat…I can handle the calories better than you anyway.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Yes…I want it…no…I NEED it!”

I am convinced that he must have been astounded by my absurd request and bold statement…despite that…I was given the prize.

 “Here take it…”

YES! I took the donut and inhaled it.  It was gone faster than Usain Bolt runs the 100m dash.  It tasted…bland.  It was dry.  The icing was pathetic.  In fact, I felt the donut hit my gut like a bomb, and I became ill most of the rest of the day.

Donuts are not the only thing that I find myself craving…there are many things…some are relatively healthy…many are not…yet, in either case, I usually go over the top.  I have a habit of over consuming.  It’s a weakness.

In this account I see a picture of sin.  Not necessarily the donuts…though some of them taste so good that they may in fact be sinful…but rather, the allure of the fried fritters.  Just as my eyes are drawn to these confectionary golden rings, my eyes are also drawn to other things.  My eyes are drawn to new bicycles, fishing rods, boats and boat motors…my eyes are drawn to the Peanut M&M’s and the cookies that I have secretly stashed in the cupboard. This is the picture of sin that I see…my eyes being drawn away from the things of Christ and falling onto my own yearnings and selfishness.

I think that is what Satan does on a much larger and more destructive scale.  He lures us.  He draws our eyes…he pulls our attention.  He knows that he cannot steal away a believer’s salvation…yet he never stops alluring all mankind to get and keep our eyes OFF of Jesus Christ. 

Sadly, he is very good at this…and has been very successful. Revelation 17 begins to show us how Satan and his powerful alluring…WILL be destroyed! Thank the Lamb…that He will conquer sin, death, evil and Satan for good!

Praise the victorious Lamb!