Apples and Oranges, or Cherry Pie and Twinkies
Our family’s years with the church in Urbana, Illinois, are some of our most cherished. We were far from home in a church where many other people were far from home. We really became family for one another.
Between Sunday School and church a good friend (I’ll call him Joe) began to tell me about a time when we had him and his wife over for dinner. They were fairly recently married and new to our church. We had been married between ten and fifteen years and had three children.
I had worked hard on one of our favorite meals. We started with salad. Joe thought, “Ugh. Lettuce.”
Then Joe tried to describe something I served that had noodles on it. I was puzzled. Noodles on a dish?
Finally, I figured out that he was talking about chicken curry, which is one of our family’s favorites. I got the recipe a few weeks after Ray and I married when a young woman at church and her husband had Ray and me over for supper. You start with de-boned chicken. That goes into a wonderful thick, homemade white sauce, flavored with sauteed onion, ginger, and curry.
The curried chicken goes on top of white rice. When we have this dish, I serve it with bowls of raisins, grated cheese, chopped apples, pineapple chunks, bacon bits, and peanuts. Back then, I also served it with fried chow mein noodles — so, that’s what he meant by a dish with noodles on it.
Oh, it is a delicious recipe.
Joe fixed himself a big plate and piled on the toppings. Yick! He thought. He explained to me that his mom had five boys and she fixed plain food because she couldn’t throw it out if they didn’t like it.
Then, Joe prepared himself for dessert. He was hoping for anything besides cherry pie. Yep. That’s right. I served cherry pie. He said that I went and got him a couple of Twinkies®.
Ray and I remember absolutely nothing about this incident, but we will enjoy remembering our conversation yesterday morning! We were so amused. I’m glad I had a stash of Twinkies on hand.
Aren’t we people funny things? One person’s feast is another person’s nightmare. I love that Joe and I love each other enough to share a laugh over our very different perceptions 25 years ago! He and his family are one of the wonderful reasons Ray and I love to go back and visit! He is a kind and loving servant, a wonderful husband, and a godly dad and granddad.
Ever get discouraged because one of your children learns very differently from another? Is comparing your children like comparing apples and oranges? Someday it will make a great story. Til then, hang in there!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24