The Recipe

While I confess my “almost addiction” to the cooking channel, I almost never watch Giada. My motto is “Never trust a skinny cook.” Although, my very favorite show is Sandra Lee and she takes skinny to a new level. But I like her because she takes good recipes and helps you make them easier and quicker. I’m all for saving time and I love, love her tablescapes. I was into tablescapes before I knew what they were.

But I watched Giada recently, her robust aunt was cooking with her, so I figured it was a good day to watch her show, while I recovered for a few minutes from running with the grandkids. Her aunt told a really sad story, behind the dish she was cooking. Here’s the story as I heard it.
Giada’s grandmother was Italian. Wednesday night became rice night and she tried to create unique dishes that her family would enjoy. In that effort she sautéed rice in butter, (I’m already liking this dish!) until almost brown, added chicken broth, then made a creamy sauce with succulent shrimp and combined the rice and sauce. HEAVEN! It was a hit, everyone loved it, so it became a regular item on the family “must have list.”

The girls grew up and started families of their own, but their mother refused to share the recipe. Even as she grew older and older, she kept the recipe a secret. One day the family received a call that their mother was dying, so everyone gathered in her house. This daughter that was cooking on Giada’s show wanted to do something, so she pulled rice out of the cupboard, butter out of the refrigerator and began to try to replicate her mother’s specialty without the recipe. It was trial and error, but over the years, she has come close to matching her mom’s special touch.
For days I’ve been thinking, why wouldn’t she share the recipe? Why wouldn’t she want to pass the power to reproduce that wonderful dish so future generations could enjoy it? Why? I can guess, but only she knows why she clutched it until she took it to the grave with her.

Maybe you think, it’s no big deal, maybe its not, but it was to that daughter. It was a way for her to keep the memory alive. But will you consider with me for just a moment the impact on your children and future generations when we fail to share our faith, when we fail to share the recipe for peace, joy and abundant provision. Yes, those recipes connect them with the past, with you and your faith, but they also, connect them with an eternal God that will not fail them. Sharing your faith impacts and encourages their faith. Sharing your victories, catapults them to persist to summit their own victories.

Don’t die with the recipe clutched inside your heart and mind. Don’t die without impacting your realm of influence. It’s no big deal if they cook it better or they get the credit for the dish or the accomplishment. They’ll have bigger victories and they’ll do greater things for God than you, but they’ll do it using your tried and true recipe.