Red Coasters

I am not a vegetarian but I easily could be.
I do not like red meat.
I will always choose chicken or fish above meat when we go to a restaurant.
Better yet, I will choose a salad and vegetables.

Years ago, my husband needed to be in California for work.
He was gone for five weeks.
We only had our two daughters at the time.
I traveled out to California for a week to be with him.

While I was there, we visited San Francisco, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Near Santa Cruz, we went to a quaint restaurant which you get to by cable car.
There were meandering garden paths on which to walk.
The ambiance of that restaurant was one I will never forget.

There were many things scheduled for the wives to do while the husbands had meetings.
One evening, we all went to a Basque restaurant.
My husband and most of the men were in their element.
Tubs of steak were brought to the table to be consumed.

It seemed to be a never ending flow of servers carrying those large tubs of steak.
If you are a steak lover you would enjoy every minute of it.
If you are not a meat lover like me, you politely refused every time the tubs came near.
The vegetable bowls were small in comparison since everyone made the meat their meal.

There is a well known steak restaurant in Philadelphia.
I have no desire to go there, though many people rave about it.
If you like meat, you would be in your element.
If you don’t like meat, you would probably not like the experience.

It’s an enormous amount of food (most of it very good) that the staff at Fogo de Chao seems to understand, insomuch that they give every table a set of red and green coasters: Red ones to signify that you need to seriously stop and breathe and green circles to alert your server that you’re ready to go forth and conquer.
(http://www.westword.com/restaurants/meet-your-meat-at-fogo-de-chao)

I have heard about the red and green coasters.
Turn the coaster on the green side and a server will be there immediately.
Fifteen cuts of meat are presented table side on skewers or on wooden cutting boards.
The knife wielding servers are ready to serve you.

Turn the coaster to the red side and the servers know that you want to stop.
You do not need them to slice another piece to meat for you.
You have had too much and need to take a break.
You have had enough.

I thought about the red and green coasters, though I have never been to the restaurant.
I thought about how they would come in handy in our daily life.
I thought about the ability to turn a simple coaster on one side or another to get results.
I thought about, I’ve had enough or better yet, I am enough.

Our culture has a way of making us feel as if we are not enough.
Our job is not enough, our house is not enough, and our physical bodies are not enough.
Our lifestyle is not enough compared to someone else.
We are not enough compared to someone else.

Social media does not help with the feelings of, not enough.
Even though only the best of a person’s life is being shown on Facebook, we can feel less.
Comparisons abound even though apples are being compared with oranges.
It doesn’t matter; we are not enough (we tell ourselves) and the enemy likes it that way.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

We are looking in the wrong places for our affirmation.
Social media spotlights the best and hides the worst.
What we hold before us as our standard is not true.
We allow ourselves to feel as if we are not enough based on a lie.

That is when the red and green coasters would come in handy.
Turn it to the green side if you want to drown in the social media abyss.
Turn it to the red side if you have had enough.
I’ve had enough; I am enough.

Perhaps we need to cut out our own cardboard coasters to remind us.
I am enough.
I am enough.
I am loved by God and He says that I am worth it.

The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that. (Max Lucado)

That is our bragging rights.
That is how much we are loved.
God would rather die on the cross than live without you.
That should show you that you are enough.

Dying on the cross was only the first part.
Jesus rose again.
Death has no victory over us because of what Jesus accomplished.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus affirmed that we are enough and we are loved.

Cut out some cardboard coasters.
I suggest you only cut out the red ones.
Every time you look at that red circle, it will remind you of the blood that Jesus shed for you.
Every time you look at the red circle, it will remind you that you are enough.

You are enough!
You are enough!
You are more than enough!
Jesus would rather die on the cross than live without you.

Social Media lies.
The enemy lies.
Our feelings lie.
God is the only One who tells the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

Say it out loud.
I am enough!
I am loved!
I am so very loved!