I am a sucker for appetizers! I love small bites of food that offer amazing flavor. A few years back, tapas (pronounced TAH-pahs) restaurants became very popular here in the U.S. The concept caught on, and people are making money serving teeny tiny little plates with one or two bites of food. The general idea is that you can try 15 or so plates of various flavors while hanging out with your friends. I love that! #1, I love little bitty things... #2, I love to eat lots of different things, so this idea appeals to me greatly. If you get a plate that you don't really like...well, there's just one bite. If you like something very much, just order another one. (It seems to work beautifully until you get the bill and realize that you've just paid $5 or so for each little plate....)
Several years ago, a young Japanese girl was staying in our home for some months. She had just been released from a Japanese hospital where she had been admitted for attempted suicide. I had known her since she was six years old and wasn't about to sit idly by while she ruined her life, so I invited her to live with us in the States. She came - a broken and confused young lady. One particular morning, we were trying to get ready to go to church when a wave of depression hit her horribly, and she locked herself in her room and threatened to harm herself. Well, being the sensitive lady that I am, I unlocked the door and put my finger in her face and told her that in no uncertain terms was she going to take her life right there in my house with my children as witnesses...and furthermore, she was going to straighten up and get downstairs and eat her breakfast! She obeyed and came downstairs in a "funk" not unsimilar to a toddler's pouting.
At this point, I began to tell her that she would battle this forever if Jesus was not the Lord of her life. I told her that I could help her, but she had to accept Him. She was very reluctant. No one in her life in Japan at all was a Christian. She just couldn't seem to make up her mind, so...I waved a little plate under her nose. I said, "I tell you what. You don't have to make your life's decision this very instant because you don't really know what it's all about. How about this...why don't you just try Jesus. If He doesn't work for you, then you'll know. But if you don't try, then you can't say for sure if Jesus is what you need. And...if it works for you, then you need to commit to follow Him with your whole heart." She agreed to sample this new flavor that I was offering, and we prayed that the Lord will come in and fill her heart.
It was a beautiful thing to witness. She began to radiate with joy immediately. My children were young, and my son kept exclaiming that it was amazing! She was so happy! He couldn't believe the change that he had seen with his own eyes. The young lady was equally shocked. She kept saying, "What happened? I can't explain this! I feel wonderful! What happened?" That tiny little taste of Christ was all that it took to transform her life. She didn't know that she could be so filled.
Now, she is nearly graduated from an online Bible School in Japan. She plays the piano in her local church. Her mother and grandmother have both come to the Lord, and she is praying for her entire family. In Japan, this is considered a phenomenon. Japan has not experienced the revival that has hit other nations, so we continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out over that tiny, yet powerful, nation.
Just a little taste was all she needed. She knew that it was a flavor that she wanted in her every day. Kind of like the little tapas. Sometimes I eat things that I love, and sometimes I taste things that I hope I never see again! If you offer the sweet and powerful flavor of Jesus Christ, people want more. If you aren't giving them this taste, they will never know what they are missing.
Favorite appetizer of the day: Frog eyes. I scared you, didn't I? If you've read any of my past blogs, you ought to be scared, but no frogs are harmed in the making of this yummy treat. Simply take peppered pastrami (not too thinly sliced) and spread it with softened cream cheese. Put a whole dill pickle in the center and roll it up. Put in the fridge to harden for several hours and then slice them in about 1/2 inch thick slices. If you've done it correctly, it resembles some sort of deep south sushi. This is a guaranteed hit at your Super Bowl party!
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