The meal was healthy, but seemed a little boring. Chicken, broccoli, quinoa. I looked in the fridge and found a packet of honey mustard sauce. My kids will love this, I thought. But also understanding that I have two toddlers and a four year old, and an unknown substance plopped on any of their plates could release a fit of fury, I called over my oldest to have a little taste first.
I dipped the spoon in and said “Here, try this.”
She looked at the fluorescent yellow color and it made her recoil.
“It’s really good.” I said, but she refused. She turned her head away.
“Ew.”
“It’s a dipping sauce, from Panda Express.”
She’s been to "Panda" enough to have had a considerable record logged of trustworthy experiences. So, when I said those words her entire countenance changed. She leaned right in and gulped the entire spoonful down.
“Yum. It’s sweet!”
Immediately a rightness between us was reestablished. See, I thought, I told you it would be good! I know you! You can trust me!
After those thoughts I sensed an extra gentle presence, a slowing down of time. I was pulling back as the mother and entering in as the child. Then the words…resonated back to me.
SEE.
In psalm 34 verse 8 David writes “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
God has told us he is good. He wants us to taste, and to see as well. He wants us to know him in all the dimensions.
Trusting him can bring delight into our relationship! It can also be scary. We don’t always know what we are being fed, what it may taste like, or if we will like it. It takes a willingness to let go. To say yes. There is always risk. I gain courage when I am reminded to focus on the fount of every blessing, on the Giver himself, and not the result of whatever is on the spoon.
Saying yes to becoming missionaries in Uganda has been and continues to be, a lot like this kitchen incident. Multiple times there has been a spoonful of fluorescent yellow ugly stuff waving in front of my mouth. In front of Mike’s mouth. We’ve been asked to trust. To taste. And despite my initial recoiling at times, I have been patiently coaxed out of retreating into my fears.
The purpose of our blog is to share our family’s journey of where we see God, and to connect with our friends and family. We look forward to sharing our adventures in faith whether it be in the kitchen in California or a village in Western Uganda.
