by Dan Jones
One morning last week, Allen Jones mentioned on-air that he had marked his three-year anniversary as a Kinship Christian Radio Announcer.
Now, it’s no secret that I like Allen Jones. We have a lot in common. If you’ve ever met him, you have to admit he often sports some pretty awesome facial hair. He also likes to hunt and fish, and we share the same last name even though we are not related. He’s also mentioned once or twice that he likes this blog, so he’s got that going for him, too.
But the thing I like best about Allen is the joy of the Lord that is in him. He’s enthusiastic about Jesus as Lord and Savior! HALLELUJAH! In that, I think we share a certain “kinship,” if you’ll pardon an obvious pun.
So, what would be more appropriate than to help a brother in Christ celebrate such a milestone?
Since my lovely wife is the Head Bookkeeper (and several other impressive things) at Kinship Christian Radio and works with Allen every day, I suggested that she stop somewhere and pick up a doughnut or two for him.
In a moment of fiduciary weakness, I even offered to pay for said pastries.
My lovely wife informed me that Allen Jones does not eat doughnuts, but instead subsists entirely on a diet of canned salmon and avocados.
I was aghast.
The thought of a normal, Midwestern, male human being without some kind of allergy to doughnuts who voluntarily elects to live on what I can only imagine to be the diet of some strange, cave-dwelling tropical bruin was astounding to me. Canned salmon and…avocados?
“Doesn’t…eat…donuts??”
“Yes,” I was told. She had never seen Allen eat a doughnut nor had she ever heard of anyone with any knowledge of Allen Jones having ever consumed an actual doughnut. Ever.
Now, as one who could be lured into dance recitals or even possibly the kind of movie where women have “a good cry” with the promise of a single one of those French donuts that look like a tractor wheel, it took some time for me to process this information. I was so flabbergasted, I was unable to come up with an alternative way to bless Allen before the opportunity had passed.
So Allen got no doughnuts.
Then, on my way to work on Monday, I head Allen Jones talking about this very situation live on the radio and he confessed that while he eats this super healthy, paleo-bearman diet at work, he does succumb to pizza and other “junk” food when he is at home, out of the sight of his co-workers and the doughnut-eating public! Although he didn’t specifically mention doughnuts, I had a very satisfying “HA! I KNEW IT!” moment.
He went on to draw the parallel between Christians who are very good Christians in public, but who maybe fall short of the mark when they are out of sight.
As usual for Allen, that’s a very good point. We are all like that to some degree and it’s a very easy temptation to fall into. Just last week, I experienced a very embarrassing and humbling fit of anger over something as silly as a dead car battery.
But that doesn’t mean the occasional celebration (yes, even one that includes a doughnut or two) is sinful or wrong. This is Nehemiah 8:10:
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (NIV)
The occasion being celebrated here is that, after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt, Ezra the teacher of the law stood on a platform above all the people of Jerusalem with all the priests beside him and read the Book of the Law of Moses to the people from daybreak until noon and explained it to them. Their response was to raise their hands, praise the LORD, and shout, “AMEN! AMEN!” Then they fell to their faces weeping.
Nehemiah, Ezra, and all the priests told the people this was not the time for weeping. This was a time for celebration! He tells them, “the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
The joy of the Lord is your strength!
Yes, dear brother Allen, the joy of the LORD is indeed your strength.
Thank you, and thank you to all of those who make Kinship Christian Radio possible, for sharing that strength with all of us who listen.
Have a doughnut.
Today’s Praise
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)