Not So Good For Me

My son, Matthew, and I both have negative reactions to green tea. I first tried green tea several years ago when it became a popular hot drink noted for its health benefits. I drank it every morning for five days, not understanding why I suddenly felt so nauseated, dizzy, and lethargic throughout the day. I thought to myself, "If green tea is supposed to be so good for me, why do I feel so horrible."

I ludicrously assumed that I should drink another cup to make me feel better. I immediately became so sick that I had to go to bed to lie down. Fortunately, my muddy brain was still able to function enough to come to the logical conclusion that the green tea was the cause of all my present aliments. And sure enough, when I stopped drinking the supposedly-good-for-you-but-not-so-good-for-me tea, I felt normal again.

Well, today, because green tea is "so good for you," manufacturers have started putting it in most of their multivitamin pills. Not realizing this, I have been taking for the last few weeks a daily pill from my recently purchased bottle of multivitamins without knowing that the manufacturer had added green tea. On Christmas day, I became so violently sick that I thought I was going to die. As I laid on my bed, in close proximity to the bathroom, I prayed to God and asked Him to show me what was wrong with me. The Holy Spirit prompted me to look at the ingredients in my new bottle of vitamins. As I read down the list of ingredients, my eyes stopped in horror at those two, evil, execrable words: Green Tea!

Green tea might be good for most people, but it isn't for me or Matthew. We get sick! About a year ago, Matthew wanted to take multivitamins for his health. One of the ingredients was green tea. I tried to warn him ahead of time, but he wouldn't listen. I guess he figured a strong, healthy man cannot be weakened by taking a small amount of green tea in his multivitamins. He was obviously wrong.

After five days, he went for his morning run and got so sick that he threw up on someone's lawn at the other side of town. Extremely embarrassed, he slowly walked back home, holding onto his stomach and moaning. Tim was with him. They were both glad it was early in the morning and the owner (probably) didn't see what happened. Matthew desperately prayed for rain to wash away the remains. Believe it or not, it rained heavily later that morning, to Matthew's great relief.

What might be good for some people isn't always good for others. God made us individuals, with unique gifts, talents, and personalities. But sometimes we pressure others to do or be the same as us. We have the philosophy that, because something was good for us, it must be good for others. However, God has a plan for each of our lives, and His plan for one person is not always the same as for another.

"'For I know the plans I have for you',

 declares the Lord, '

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

 plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Jeremiah 29:11

Don't pressure someone to do something that may have been good for you, yet might not be God's will for that person. Doing so could harm him/her and detract from his/her prosperity.

Here are some examples of decisions you should consider not pressuring others to make.

• Whether someone should marry.
• Whether a couple should have children.
• When and how many children a couple should have.
• What career someone should choose.
• Whether someone should take medication and treatments or simply believe in God's healing.
• Whether a woman should work outside of home or be a stay-home mother.

Never assume that God's plan for your life is the same as for another. Instead, help others follow the path God has intended for them. Help them discover God's will for their lives. Remember, the plans for them aren't yours, but God's.