Are You Missing Out on the Feast?

Earlier this week I tried out a new chicken enchiladas recipe.  While I was assembling the enchiladas, my boys were there watching & snatching pieces of the cooked chicken that were going in to them.


My son, Wyatt, was eyeing the process warily.  He is my picky eater.  And, he especially dislikes when things are mixed together & he's definitely not one to try new things.  (He's my son who dreams of being old enough to buy his own pickles & sit & eat them out of the jar in front of the tv.)

"What all are you putting in there?"  He asked.  I already knew before-hand this wasn't going to fly with him, but as I told him a bit of the recipe, his face confirmed it.


"Ew.  Can you just save me some chicken?"


Now normally I don't make special exceptions with our meals.  But, I knew he would not eat the enchiladas.  And, I already had the cooked chicken set aside.  It was easy enough to save some.  But, I thought maybe I'd even offer to make some special enchiladas just for him (again, not a normal occurrence).


"What if I made a couple with just chicken & cheese wrapped in the tortilla?"  


"Nah.  Just chicken."  


So I set aside some plain old chicken for him.  And, when our family sat down to eat, there was Wyatt eating plain cooked chicken - slightly dried out, with not a whole lot of flavor - while the rest of us feasted on what turned out to be a really delicious meal of chicken enchiladas.  

image found here

We experienced a range of flavors & textures as we added sour cream, cilantro, & lettuce to our meal.  And, there sat Wyatt, not knowing what he was missing.

image found here

As sometimes happens, God spoke to me through this interaction with my son.  How often has God prepared this amazing feast for me, but I am too scared or unwilling to try something new?  I tell Him, "I'll just stick with the plain chicken.  I'll stick with what I know." And, what I don't realize is I'm missing out on all the flavors, textures, & nuances of what God had actually had waiting.

Will the plain chicken still nourish me?  Sure.  Have I experienced the fullness of God?  Probably not.

Maybe this applies to you, maybe not.  I know I tend to be someone who struggles with change, someone who is often fearful of new or different situations.  This missing of the feast could happen in so many ways....

 - in worship

 - in exploring spiritual gifts

 - in opening our lives to places God wants to take us or people he wants us to interact with

 - fill in your own example here________________________

Are you missing out on the feast?

"Taste and see that the Lord is good..."  Psalm 34:8