Faith & Family
Though my cooking abilities are overall subpar, my husband gets excited any time I make chicken spaghetti. Brimming with flavor, this cheesy pasta recipe was furnished by a friend several years ago and has become somewhat of a regular on our family’s weekly menu.
Interestingly, this delicious dish tends to look disgusting as you cook it. Stirring together over low heat a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and cubed hunks of Velveeta, the last word you would use to describe the resulting lumpy, grayish mixture would be “yummy.” But you press on to the next step anyway, adding Rotel and then half a brick of cream cheese and shredded chicken, aware that every part of a recipe, no matter how unappealing, is necessary. Skip over a single direction or ingredient and suddenly you have a dish less flavorful. (Imagine the horror of omitting butter from a batch of chocolate chip cookies or making French toast without cinnamon!)
Similarly, we’re inclined to want to bypass those lumpy, grayish parts of our lives and partake only in the experiences we deem profitable. We indefinitely seek that next big moment, neglecting to appreciate the realities we’re surrounded by right now. We merely try to “get through”: Young parents awakened in the night by a howling baby look at each other—exhausted, discouraged—and think, One day things will be easier.
Any time another appliance or vehicle breaks down, and you don’t have the money to fix it or ever do anything fun, you think to yourself, Someday I’ll get out of this mess.
Looking around the home you’ve worked hard for but never seem satisfied with, you think, One day I’ll have the house of my dreams.
One of these days, you decide, life will be good. But from the giant, climactic moments to the ones you don’t think matter at all, every part of life is invaluable, and if we’d determine to look a little more closely, we just might see the merit of these days.
You just may discover that each precious experience is actually necessary to create a life that’s savory and worthwhile.
The chicken spaghetti recipe I use is hardly a convenient, one-step kit. You can’t simply heat it and serve. From slicing cheese to cooking noodles to assembling everything in a pan, there is a tedious process involved. But once prepared, you’re rewarded with a scrumptious meal to show for your efforts, and all because every step was accounted for.
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24
A resident of McDonough County, Erin Eddy lives in Macomb with her husband, Mike, their five boys, and two zealous Australian Shepherds. She aspires to uplift readers, penning stories of encouragement and everyday life. Her work has been featured on the influential website Her View From Home, as well as the book series Chicken Soup for the Soul. Contact [email protected].
