Chopstick Muscles

We have so many muscles! Tons and tons! There are tiny ones and big ones, strong ones and weak ones. Some we can control and some we cannot. Today I will post about chopstick muscles.

This is my current companion, Sister Lim. She is from Korea. She likes to cook Korean food for us. I like it, even though it can be pretty spicy! However, to eat it properly, I had to improve on my chopstick skills.

So, first I got my own set of chopsticks.

Then I had my first practice. Rice and seaweed. Sister Lim taught me how to hold the chopsticks correctly and set me loose on the food. I did a pretty good job. While I was working away, Sister Lim told me about her childhood. In Korea, she had to pass a test in school where she moved sesame seeds from one bowl into another. If she did not pass the test, she was not allowed to eat around adults or guests!

That did it. We got out some seeds. I tried and tried and tried and finally got one seed into a cup! Yes! I felt very accomplished.

However, the next day when I tried to eat with chopsticks again, I could barely hold the chopsticks. I told Sister Lim "My chopstick muscles are sore!" She laughed. Of course, she does not even notice her chopstick muscles! Hers never get sore!

For most of us "spiritual muscles" (like faith or patience) are a lot like chopstick muscles. We have to use them to realize that we even have them! Using them at first is hard and we might get a little sore. But it gets easier. The principle is the same. Practice makes perfect. I am not as good as Sister Lim with chopsticks yet, but I am getting better! You may need some practice with your spiritual muscles, but you can can pass the test if you keep trying.

Work those spiritual muscles! Love you all!