Night Binger

I am a “night-binger.” It hurts to say it and I hope you don’t lose all respect for me as a pastor, but there is something about sweets that makes them appealing after 8 pm. Wave a doughnut in front of me at 10 am, and I have little trouble saying “no.” Ice Cream at 12 pm hardly makes me turn my head. Chocolate Chip cookies are more of a challenge, but usually, at 3 in the afternoon, I can find the strength to refuse. But let the clock strike 8 in the evening, and the dietary Dr. Jeckyl becomes the gluttonous Dr. Hyde. I eat and eat and keep on eating. Then I go to bed and have trouble sleeping. There’s something about chocolate and sleep that just doesn’t mix.

So, in my quiet time the other morning, I made a decision: I was going to cut out sweets, especially after supper. I made up my mind and even prayed about it. Then I came downstairs to discover that my wife had been cooking again. This time she made brownies for a meeting we were having at lunch, after church on Sunday. I was still resolute: No Sweets! In fact, this would be a good test of my self-control. I would refuse to eat them, even though they were sitting right in front of me.

How did I do? Well, I did ok at 10 am. I had no problem at 12 pm. 3 pm went by without a smidge of chocolate. Then the clock struck 8 and testing became temptation. Those brownies grew legs and walked right into my hands. Then they grew wings and flew right up to my mouth. One hour and 4 brownies later, I was headed to bed, once again, a victim of chocolate.