“O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy is the one who takes refuge in him!” -Psalm 34:8
We recently celebrated the birthday of my oldest daughter, Ella Kate. Although the birthday celebration lasted the whole weekend, one of the things we did to mark this special occasion was to take her to dinner. We celebrated at one of her favorite restaurants. Ella Kate loves Asian food. When the time came for us to order we had a great selection of sushi, vegetables and, of course, Mongolian beef. We had a great dinner.
Our experience at dinner that night gave me cause for great joy, for several reasons. One cause for joy came during the meal as we tried a few new items. I could not help but think that I was much older than Ella Kate before I was willing to try something like sushi. When the new dish arrived at the table, Ella Kate sampled the dish without hesitation. I don’t believe that she was a fan of my sushi selection, but she tried nonetheless.
God has placed us in the middle of a big, beautiful world. Our eyes have only begun to see the full breadth of creation. Our ears have not yet heard all the beautiful melodies that echo in our world. In order for us to experience the full expression of God’s wonderful creation we must be willing to try new things. We must resist the constant pull to be comfortable in what we know and what we have experienced. There is greater joy to be known. Trying a piece of a sushi roll might be a small risk to take, but it reminded me that when we are willing to try new things, opportunities open for us to experience so much more.
I want to encourage you to try something new. Have no fear, God’s grace is bigger than the unknown. Pick up your chopsticks and take a bite. “O taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
