The "Good Stuff"

The other day my son Daniel and I were heading back home from Tucson when we called home to see what was for supper. Mom told us “chicken stuff”. Now I don’t know what pops in your mind when you hear food called “stuff” but for me I pictured a cross between summer camp mystery meat and a junior high cafeteria end of the year let’s get rid of the meat before summer sandwich. Daniel and I looked at each other and though how wonderful a steak and egg burrito would be at Filibertos.

Kay, using her woman, wife and mother intuition, instantly sensed our hesitancy and assured us that supper would be good and we would enjoy it. I love my wife and she is a great cook but what could even Paula Deen do with chicken “stuff”? Honestly I was thinking the meal was going to be more Andrew Zimmern than Emiril Lagasse.

We did go home, without stopping at Filibertos, and found dinner was ready for us. I sat down, took a look at what was on my plate, smelled the aroma coming from the dish, and tasted one more reason why I am in love with my wife. WAHOO! Her “chicken stuff” was absolutely, positively delicious and I found myself licking the plate until she said those magic words “there’s more on the stove”. I ate until I couldn’t see straight. Who would have thought something called “stuff” could be so good!

But, I should have known the chicken my wife called “stuff” would be good. I know my wife and I know she loves her family and she loves to provide delicious meals for us. I should have trusted her and been faithful to her cooking instead of salivating for a mere steak and egg burrito from Filibertos. Once again I found myself surprised at the happy ending when I should have been assured from the beginning. A lesson has been learned.

Now there’s another lesson I need to keep learning. Often life’s circumstances come full of “stuff”. You know the kind of stuff that makes you want to pull your hair out because you can’t see anyway things could possibly turn out all right let alone spectacularly. I’ve talked with a lot of people who attest with me that life often serves us bad “stuff” to deal with. The question is how we face the bad stuff in life.

We need to remember that we have a God who loves us and loves to provide good things for us. James tells us in his epistle that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…” That truth from God’s word gives me the assurance to believe that even if the “stuff” in my life sounds bad, smells bad, looks bad and even tastes bad it doesn’t mean God isn’t going to surprise me with something spectacular in the end.

Because of God’s love I don’t need to look for something or someone else to get me through my need nor do I need to fear what is ahead. I can be assured from the beginning that God is going to take good care of me. Paul said it best (with a couple changes by me) when he wrote, “And we know that all of life’s stuff, even the bad stuff, work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

When we are willing to take a big bite of what we are facing in life we will realize once again why it’s so wonderful to be in love with God. WAHOO! God can make even the “baddest” of bad stuff in life taste spectacular in the end. When we walk in faith we don’t have to be surprised at our joy at the end of the bad stuff but instead we can walk assured of our joy from the beginning.

Yes, this is a lesson I will need to keep learning. That’s just the way I am. To help me remember the lesson I have renamed Kay’s chicken “stuff”. From now on it is “Kay’s spectacular eat it till I’m woozy chicken”. And when I’m faced with bad stuff in life I’m going to sit at God’s table and enjoy “God’s Spectacular eat it till I’m praising Him banquet”. Maybe that’s what David meant when he said God prepares a table for him in the presence of his enemies?

Bon Appetite,

James