So all day today, I’ve felt nauseous on and off again. I thought I was going to puke when I woke up nasty early for work, but didn’t. Then I thought that I might throw up while I was working, but lets be honest, I thought that was just an attitude thing. And truthfully, some people order the most disgusting coffee drinks ever, so I naturally gag at those. From work, which I got off later than I needed to, I went straight to class. I was less animated than usual, and very careful while I taught, the interns didn’t need a show of Jake vomiting. Anyways, I make it full circle, go home again, and take a long nap and wake up feeling amazing. I thought I had the flu, but now I’m thinking food poisoning. Not sure.

Anyways, my amazing friends Shane and Kirst invited a couple of friends and I out to dinner. Of course I had to go, I was feeling better and I don’t turn down a chance to spend time with these people! Besides that, they offered to pay, so why not!

Donnie Mack’s is a white-trash themed restaurant, but don’t let that fool you. The place is amazing. Very well put together with “lower-class” all-American paraphernalia that you should remember seeing as a kid. The menu is good too, they’re a gourmet burger place, with lots of great things to gorge yourself on then take a fat nap. In spite of this glorious food, I decided to take it easy on the stomach and just got a tuna salad.

The conversation was amazing, the salad was good, I managed to drink a soda too, and it was great! Shane and Kirst have the greatest kids ever! Bubba is all boy, and holds nothing back. He ran circles around the restaurant and even showed us all his crazy mad pitching skills while his little sister, Sissy screamed “Yay!” after praying, eating, drinking, songs ended, and anything else that caught her attention. She added a flourish to this exclamation with the hands clapping above her head. I was really enjoying myself, but then it was time to leave, and then it happened.

We were all going to our separate cars when I felt it. The salad was on its way back. I hid my face behind one of those concrete cylinders that the parking lot lights are anchored in, and let it fly about five or six times. Let me tell you something about puking salad up. It is messy. Lettuce wants to get caught on your teeth, your tongue, the back of your throat, everything in its path. When it couldn’t all fit out of my mouth, it came out the nose. Again, lettuce sticks to stuff.

Here’s how amazing my friends are though, they all kept their distance, but waited to make sure I was going to live. Shane was even willing to drive me home. Nice people.
When I was younger, and before I was a Christian, I was a partier. I was good at it too. And first, I’ll say that throwing up beer is easier than throwing up salad, but the people I drank with were never incredibly concerned about my well-being, especially when I was vomiting. I know I’m making a big deal out of this, but I just really felt loved on the drive home (fortunately, I live relatively close to the restaurant, so it was quick too). I smiled through a dirty mouth most of the way home.

God loves us when we’re ugly. When we’re hateful, angry, sinning, and stupid. Romans 5:8 says, ” But God demonstrates his own love for us in this While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

How much love is that? Like I said, when we’re ugly in our own sin, God still loves us. It’s amazing. I love God, and I’m grateful for the people that He’s put in my life.

P.S. I still feel great, I just threw up, that’s all!