Que mangiata!

It is 3 am in the morning, and I'm awakened from sleep. Not just typically by the baby, but by my head filled with all that I'm trying to digest. I haven't been blogging for the obvious reasons of being too busy with life. My life has been quite full since my last post. We've moved back to Canada, moved into the RV, commenced school in the RV, catching up with dear friends and family we've left behind, Darling husband got himself a job, all the while seeking the next step in our path trying to juggle the daily necessities with adjusting to days without Daddy at home during the day. It has been a long road of "waiting" as far as knowing what to do next, but we're starting to see the light on the other side of this tunnel.

I was trying to remember the name of some of the WWOOFers we've met in Japan as I was nursing my little one tonight. It is not uncommon that their faces or other people come into my mind, and I pray for them. But tonight, a particular Italian girl who taught me the saying "Que mangiata!" popped into my head. We had an unusual amount of amazing food, and we were full and happy. It was a welcome change from the monotonous diet of onion and lettuce we had been having. I was telling her how we were all saying "I'm so full bellied and happy!" in Japanese: "Tarafuku tabeta!" or "Onaka ippai!" I asked if there was some such saying in Italian. She told me that the closest that came to that was: "Que mangiata!" but it had to do with a big amount and a great quality.

I thought of countless nuances that different language brings, and thought of number of different way to draw it, and mold it out of clay the happy faces, full and satisfied faces. In the back of my mind, a song was going: "He brought me to His banqueting table... and His banner over me is love."

Then I thought of the parable Jesus talked about. How beggars were brought to the scrumptious banquet out of the streets because the original guests refused to come.

Then came more Scriptures, like a torrent. How He called Himself "Bread of Life" and whoever partakes of this bread will never go hungry. How He called out in Isaiah to come and taste what is good, and to feast on the richest of fares without cost. And other places like "Taste and see that the Lord is good." How He spoke to Peter bringing down feast on a sheet so that he sill go and share the Good News with Cornelius. Psalm 23: He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. His countless allusions on feeding on His Word through Paul.

In this very full and crazy season of my life, I have been very overwhelmed at times. But it drove me to seek Him in His Word. I am far from having a regular diet, but I know that I've been feasting on Him. And more that I have sought, I was met with more than I had expected. The paradox of God is at work here, too. I came hungry, expecting to just eat "enough" - just enough to get me through today. Instead, I got more than I can chew on. My limited understanding was so ready to settle for less, but He keeps on giving me more. And I'm starting to see the reason of it all in the one Scripture that I felt in my heart to memorize:

[My determined purpose is] to know Him [that is] to become progressively more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonder of His person more strongly and clearly. - Philippians 3:10a AMP

I am finding out who He is in all of this. He is my Life, and my life consist of getting to experience and know Him. I must consume Him, the Word, in order for me to be full of Him... to carry Him in me... while He carries me in my life. And all that is happening in and around me is all explained.. or rather I can only digest it correctly when I have the steady diet of His Word. For in that I meet Him freshly and know the Person who is Oh so much more than I expected... always.

Oh the wonder of it all.

My heart is full, so full in fact, that I just had to come and type this out here.