MORE THAI SOUP PLEASE

Six-year-old Mary eyed the cans of coconut milk and twisted ginger root on the kitchen counter with suspicion.  “What’s all that stuff?” she demanded.

“I’m making something special for dinner,” I explained, pulling out cilantro and lemongrass from the refrigerator.  It was a cold, snowy night in New York, and I was cooking my favorite soup for my friend’s family.  “It’s called Thai coconut curry soup.”

Mary wrinkled her nose.  “I never had that before.  It doesn’t sound good.  I want peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!”

Special Soup

“But this is a very special soup, with secret ingredients!” I confided in a low voice.  “Do you want to know what the secret ingredients are?”  Mary’s eyes widened and she leaned in close, intrigued.

I handed her a child-size apron.  “I’ll let you be my assistant and show you how I make the special soup.  It’s going to be delicious!”

At dinner later that night, Mary eagerly polished off a full bowl of the coconut curry soup, to her parents’ astonishment.  With great importance, she related the experience of being the chef’s helper and informed them that she knew the secret ingredients in the soup.  Something she didn’t think she would like turned out to be a wonderful new experience!

God’s Good Plans

When God first asked me to serve Him as an English teacher in East Asia, I didn’t want to go.  It was something completely new and unfamiliar.  Wrinkling up my nose like Mary, I whined, “This is strange!  This isn’t what I’m used to!  I don’t think I’ll like this!  I want my familiar, comfortable life!”  But stepping out in faith, I chose to trust that my Heavenly Father knows what is best for me.  And even though some things were difficult and painful, I experienced so many wonderful and exciting new things that I would have missed had I stayed in my familiar “peanut butter and jelly life.”

God has good plans for my future – things I can’t even imagine!  Like six-year-old Mary, I have to be willing to step out of the familiar and try something new that He’s putting in front of me.  It just may be something wonderful!

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

Going vertical!

MJ