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It was 2010, and for the first time since our kids were old enough to appreciate such a thing, I was taking my family to Europe. We would first see my mother, who at the time had significant dementia and was residing in a home in Ostend, Belgium, and then we would take a train to Switzerland, where we would rent a car and tour all of the Alpine region.
And that's what we did. We drove through all of Switzerland, we dipped down into northern Italy, we drove over into western Austria, we spent a day or two in Bavaria, in southern Germany, and we even spent a night in the tiny kingdom of Liechtenstein and walked the paths that inspired the children's story, Heidi. We terminated the trip in Northern France visiting the famous Mt. Blanc! It was a trip that none of us would ever forget. Especially my kids, who somehow seem to remember things a bit differently than I do... but those are, perhaps, stories for another day!
Having spent 4 years of my late teens and early adulthood on the French/Swiss border, I wanted our kids to experience the culture of Switzerland. I carefully selected a restaurant that served some of the typical Swiss dishes I had learned to love, and we all sat down for what I hoped would be a special and memorable meal. And it was. Even in the unanticipated ways...
We all knew what we wanted. My wife had also spent some months in Switzerland and she wanted Raclette—a dish of melted Swiss mountain cheese served with potato and pickles. That sounded good to our oldest son as well, but I had my heart set on something different, something that I considered infinitely better: Fondu! I could already taste the tangy, garlicy flavour of the blend of Swiss cheeses melted in a pot... Our younger son, Darien, wanted that as well, and we ordered a pot of Fondu and a plate of Raclette to be shared appropriately.
Both dishes came with a side of salad. No problem. As vegetarians, we love salad! My enthusiasm waned, however, when the salad came garnished with a large, orange flower! Wait. Just because I am a vegetarian doesn't mean I eat ALL plants! I furtively pushed it off my plate.
Darien's response was priceless: "I'm NOT eating a flower!"
I kind of smiled to myself and looked over at my wife and older son to see how they would respond. To my astonishment, they had both already eaten the offensive orange things! "You should try it, Darien!" urged my wife. "It's good!"
"No way!"
She turned to me. "Try it, Darien! Even papa ate his!"
She may not have seen me hide it under the rim of my plate, But Darien had! Oops! Caught red-handed...
My wife normally pushed Darien to try new foods, but for some reason that day, she backed down. Instead, she gave us both a stern scolding about refusing good food...
It has been 16 years since that incident, and I still don't get it. How could she have possibly thought to call a flower, "good food"?
I have learned that it was actually a Zucchini flower, which is considered a delicacy in Italian cuisine. Nonetheless, if my wife ever puts a flower on my salad plate, I will have the same reaction... Maybe I just like to pick and choose what I eat! But then, don't we all?
Unfortunately, most of us also like to pick and choose the Spiritual food we are given. God has given us specific guidance in the Bible, a book that shows God's love for us from the beginning to the end. I will be the first to admit, however, that there are some parts of His Word that I like better than others! Let's take "grace" for example (See Eph. 2:8-9). I'm all into grace. The fact that Jesus died for my sin, thus absolving me of guilt is my favorite part of the Book! I kind of like the concept of Heaven too (See Phil. 3:20). But I will admit there are "Zucchini flowers" in the Word as well. The part about not worrying, for example (See Matthew 6:25). Just how DOES one do THAT! And then there's the part about giving of your hard-earned money to the Lord... Or what about the part that tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves (See Mark 12:31)... Even the one who poisons my grass, tells me what kinds of trees I can plant, and parks on my lawn? You mean I have to love THAT ONE as well?
The thing is, God gives us the WHOLE word! EVERY part is for our instruction: "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." (Romans 15:4 NIV; See also 1 Timothy 3:16-17)! We can't just pick and choose. We can't push the "Zucchini flowers" aside or hide them under our plates!
Of course, no real harm was done by Darien and I not eating our zucchini flowers. Unfortunately, avoiding the "zucchini flowers" of the Word of God is far more dangerous. The good news is, God knows how to make "zucchini flowers" taste good. With His help, I CAN love my neighbour. I CAN stop worrying. I can find JOY in giving. The only caveat is that I must be willing to try!
Don't push aside parts of God's word because you don't like what you read. Instead, embrace the entire Word of God. When you do, your life will be blessed beyond comprehension.
Inspired by Rob Chaffart
Founder, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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