We've had broccoli salad a few times this summer, and the boys, surprisingly enough, like to eat it. Jude can almost polish off a whole batch by himself!
Today, as we prepared to host a church picnic, I mixed up an extra-large batch of broccoli salad (which is one American dish that I've discovered the people here love). The boys eventually wandered into the kitchen to watch the veggie chopping, nibble at the last piece of cheese, or lick off the honey spoon. However, the boys were horrified to see me add a few things to the salad. "Mom, you can't add vinegar!!!" "That wasn't in there before, was it?" Or, "Eeww! I don't want that sauce in mine!" I chuckled and replied that yes, it was in the salad before, and they liked it. Yet, it reminded me of an important truth that God has taught me; and my boys will have to learn it in life.
I explained, "Some things in life, like the broccoli, are good for you, but don't necessarily taste good by themselves. Some things are sweet, like the honey that we added. Some things have a lot of flavor and are enjoyable, like the cheese. But, not everything is tasty. You didn't want to lick off the vinegar spoon, or even want the mustard put into the salad! You wouldn't want a whole dish of mayonaise- that would be really gross! -But, when we mix it all together, it makes a delicious salad, doesn't it?
"You see, God always gives us good gifts; but sometimes, it's hard or doesn't taste good, like broccoli. School is a necessity, but not always fun. Other things come into our life, by accident, consequence, or because of the broken world we live in. Was it nice that Grandpa died? No. Do your friends always treat you nice? No. These are like vinegar- they aren't nice at all! This all goes back to the beginning of time. Remember Adam and Eve? They lived in a perfect environment, but were banished when they chose to disobey God. Ever since then, the world, and everything in it is damaged. -Because of that sin, the world is not a nice place to live in. However, God made a promise:
'And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose.' (Romans 8:28)
"God promises, that if I love God, and I belong to him, that all things will work for good: the sweet and fun parts of life, as well as the bitter and sad parts of life. I may never understand the "why," or, God may reveal it to me some day. Either way, I can trust His Word. If God says it will be good, I must accept it by faith; even if I can't see or understand. In the end, God will turn darkness into light, brokenness to health, and ashes into beauty. In the end (and not before!) it will be good, and God will be glorified. That's the God we serve!"
And just in-case you're curious, here's our "Internationally Acclaimed" Broccoli Salad:
1 lg head of broccoli, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 med purple onion, diced
1 cup raisins (or craisins!)
1/2 cup cheese, finely grated (I would guess a mozzarella or equivalent- it's different here)
1/2 cup of sliced/chopped almonds (save to add until right before serving)
3 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (as your taste dictates)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*Of course, you can serve right away, but it tastes better the second day!
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