Saturday, April 5 ~ Peter Brings Jesus to His Family

~~Matthew 8:14-15
When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.  

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In our family, I do the majority of the grocery shopping. I like it. It satisfies this orderly, anal retentive, keeping-in-budget desire. If I do a really good job, there is some type of chocolate reward. If I do a really, REALLY good job, there is a larger chocolate reward.
But you see, there is this unspoken rule in our house. There is a difference between Family Chocolate and Momma Chocolate. Family Chocolate can be devoured at an agreed upon place and time by all.
Momma Chocolate is, well, mine. I do not care if you accidentally open a drawer and rummage all the way to the bottom and find a chocolate bar. You may not have it. I do not care if you help me bring in the grocery bags and you just happen to find a chocolate bar. You may not have it. If it is a single bar, it automatically has my name on it and this is not a negotiable factor.
Ever.
Family Chocolate is an entirely different matter. I will openly remove a carton of Family Chocolate from a bag and place it in the freezer. I am not ashamed to place a box of yet-to-be-made Family Chocolate brownie mix in the cupboard for all to see.
Ya’ll, Jesus is not like Momma Chocolate. Jesus is more like Family Chocolate. He is meant to be shared, brought home and enjoyed by all. There is enough Jesus to go around and we don’t even have to do a really, REALLY good job on the grocery shopping in order to deserve this Jesus treat. 
Oh. Kinda makes me think about my single-bar, Momma-ONLY Chocolate rule. Kinda makes me think that perhaps I am being a tad bit too selfish. What would happen if I had to actually – gasp! – share? I would have less chocolate. But my family, who I serve, would have at least some, and they would enjoy a little sweet with me.
Of course, I could leave chocolate at the store and never have to share. I wouldn’t have any chocolate, but then neither would I have less chocolate.
Oh Lord, help me bring Jesus home. Help me learn to share.
Kristy H.