I heard an interesting sermon from our pastor, titled Temptations. He gave a very thought-provoking talk and even mentioned Jesus fighting off temptation as He went without food.

We have been lucky at Mount Bethel that our last few pastors all have good messages that keep our attention as we sit in the pews. I know all about temptation and I have been there a lot. But I’ve pretty much overcome any serious ones, thanks to God. Sadly, however, after the service I gave into temptation, not a bad one, though. I followed my fellow Methodists down to the Fellowship Hall.

I didn’t give in to potato soup or chili, though I wished I could have followed my diet just a tad more. I sat down with a big bowl of vegetable soup, and … uh oh … a pimento cheese sandwich on white bread. Everything was delicious, as usual, thanks to my Mount Bethel Sisters in Christ. I polished off the wonderful food, and then … Mr. Temptation called me back to the array of pies! I found a big plastic spoon and cut off half of a slice of something wonderful and tasty, which I’m sure was not on my diet. But it was delicious and had little chips of dark chocolate on the ends.

I got home and doubled my afternoon workouts, trying to overcome the extra calories I had consumed. As usual, I ate a balanced meal for supper and did some more exercise with my weights. I already put one beloved temptation aside, for Lent. We are supposed to give up something for forty days. One year I gave up Key Lime pie. That was a tough one, but amazingly, when the fasting day passed, I was no longer addicted to that wonderful temptation. So this time I kept thinking about giving up my Key Lime frozen yogurt, but realized I’d already consumed it twice that day.

I decided I’d give up another wonderful temptation … my Sweethearts candy. I put the open box in a small bag with the other remaining box and slipped them into the cabinet. I checked the date on my wall calendar so I would know when I could resume that wonderful little treat. (I only eat two a day, most of the time.) Dollar General had them on sale for 48 cents a box! I passed some around to my grandkids and hope they liked them too. I’m glad we were raised military and most of the time I keep to those strict rules. It sure has come in handy plenty of times. As soon as I finished the diabetic class, I came home and revised my grocery list. I gave up lots of favorite foods, and have kept those temptations out of my kitchen and fridge. I was glad to see on Web MD that I can still have a couple of dark chocolate Doves every day, just two.

I have lots of other temptations which are perfectly legal, and one of those is listening to the radio and the wonderful music WJGA plays. I heard a lovely Alan Jackson song, “Where I Come From,” and it made me smile, relax and polish memories. I love hearing him sing about cornbread and chicken, front porch sitting and back porch picking. He helped me take a neat trip back in time; I still remember sitting on our front porch shelling butterbeans and waving as locals drove by our little rental house in Jackson, Ga. I have actually sat on my little front porch lately, reading a library book and watching neat vehicles too. I still love cars, another legal temptation, and enjoy some rumbling mufflers too. I am very blessed!

Beverly Wittler has four children, eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She lives in McDonough.