Lesson from Ham Potatoes and Cheesy Cream Sauce

“I don’t like that.” 

“What do you mean you don’t like it?  You haven’t tried it.”

“I don’t like that; I know I don’t like it.”

This was the conversation between my 4-year-old grandson and my daughter.  My daughter is an excellent cook and a great mom, but at the moment she was more aggravated than anything else.  When she was little she was not a bad child, but she was definitely creative and stubborn, which is a powerful combination and her strong will and dynamic personality drove me crazy at times.

Now the role has changed; she and my son-in-law are the parents of a strong willed child.  She tells me the stories of how her son drives her crazy and I just laugh.  Couple of more grand kids and I can get off anti-depressants altogether.

Z-man, that is what I call my grandson, has decided that this new dish is absolutely inedible.  Of all things, she has placed before him a plate of ham and potatoes with a creamy cheese sauce.  Z-man, having never tasted this, has decided that it is beyond his ability to ingest and is flatly refusing to eat.

My daughter and son-in-law have a rule in their home; if you refuse to try a new food, you will see the same food at the next meal.  A challenge of the wills was about to happen. 

“Son,” my daughter begins patiently, “food is a gift from God.  It is one of the ways He shows us that He loves us.  Because of that we do not waste food; instead, we are thankful for this wonderful gift of God.”

“I’m not eating that.”

“Son, this is your supper,” the patience of mom is beginning to wear a little thin, “if you don’t want to eat it, you don’t have to; you can go to bed without any supper.”

“I’m not eating that”.

“Go get ready for bed.”  There remained only a thin veneer of patience over the frustration for a stubborn child.

Now one might suppose that by morning things would have changed.  But even with my daughter dressing the ham, potatoes and cheesy cream sauce with a little bacon, the refrain continued.  “I’m not eating that.”  So went breakfast, and lunch and supper.  That night the family was going to Wednesday services at church, which includes snacks and light foods.  “You can’t have any of the treats at church till you try at least one bite of your supper.”  The anthem of defiance sings on, “I’m not eating that.”  We are now 24 hours into this battle of the will and the boy has not budged a bit.

The next morning my son-in-law makes an executive decision.  He allows the 4 year old to have some cereal for breakfast with the understanding that at lunch he will face the ham, potatoes, and creamy cheese sauce again.  

At lunch my daughter dresses up a drinking straw into a puppet and this puppet dances across the dinner table while singing the praises of ham, potatoes, and cheesy cream sauce.  Now Z-man tries the bane of his pallet and finds that he loves what he has so long rejected. 

So what has this got to do with ministry and the Christian faith?

Many times God places before us opportunities and our response is, “I don’t like that, I don’t want that, I’m not going to do that”. 

Like a four year old facing unfamiliar supper, we get bent out of shape because the circumstances of our life are not what we wanted or expected.   All the while our loving heavenly Father places before us delights that we can’t imagine and all we can do is bow up our neck, redouble our stubborn will and refuse God’s gracious gift.  I wonder how many times I missed blessing because I was too set on my agenda to see God’s great gift?  How many times have I been left with the lesser, rather than the greater option, because I refused to enjoy what was before me?

May God grant us a child like faith to follow His leading and protect us from our own childish stubbornness.