Whats for dinner
In the big world of questions that must be answered, one of the more mundane is “What am I going to fix for dinner?” I never dreamed in my high school years that this would be such an issue. It’s not an issue for those living in third world countries, whose question is “Will there be any dinner?” And yet, the older I get, the more difficult it is to answer that question.
I think of it now because I am writing this on a Monday, and Monday is my turn to cook dinner. The clock is ticking, and I need to have dinner on the table in about four hours. What do I need to pull out of the freezer to defrost? What ingredients do I need to have? Do we have them in the house or do I need to run out to the store?
Do I have to prepare something new, or do we have leftovers in the fridge? Can we order a pizza, or get carry-out Chinese? Can I make my “world famous” meatloaf, or have I made it so often that my family is sick of it? If I put off the decision long enough, maybe my wife will call and tell me she is picking up something on the way home.
I know myself well enough to know that my afternoon will be spent staring into the freezer and hoping to be inspired. Will it be a healthy meal, or will it endanger my life? Will the meal be laden with fruits and vegetables, or will it clog my arteries and threaten my existence? Will dinner be an elaborate feast with seven courses, or will it be a casserole that I slap together with whatever is around?
Maybe I’ll fix a brand new recipe that I’ve wanted to try since seeing it on the cooking channel. Or maybe I’ll stick to the old tried and true family favorites that have been handed down for generations. Or maybe it’s time to forego dinner altogether and fast.
The choices are endless and overwhelming. But I’d rather have that than the options the Hebrews faced while wandering through the wilderness. Manna and Quail, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, for Forty Years! That will be our subject this Sunday as we explore Exodus 16:11-15 and our continuing sermon series called “Wandering in the Wilderness.” See you then.
