Noodles with Attitude

Yesterday our church celebrated the 150thanniversary of its founding. It was a big day with lots of special guests, period costumes (including men growing beards just for the occasion), food, old friends, music, and on and on.

A lot of planning and preparation went into the events of the day. I was involved in some of the preparation. One of my requisites for agreeing to do some of this work was that I did not want to be doing any of it at the last minute. After all, we’ve had 150 years to get ready, right?

Those that held that power in their hands faithfully delivered what I needed to do my part back in August. I worked on the multi-media presentation that included pictures, audio clips and video segments of former pastors. With the help of Jimmy and Scott, we got it all together.

A couple of weeks before the actual event, we had a rehearsal with the narrator and chief historian. There were only a few minor kinks to work out after that. Those were taken care of in just a couple of days, so for more than a week ahead, we were ready.

I was so ready, in fact, that I wanted it to be over with. I had been looking at those old black and white photos long enough. I was ready to move on to something else. Stick a fork in me, 'cause I was done.

Part of the celebration, of course, included food and as most church gatherings do, it was an everybody-bring-a-dish kind of event. A couple of days before, Scott asked me what kind of salad I was planning to make and take.

I told him I wasn’t making a salad and that I felt like I had already done my part. I had already contributed as much or more than everybody else. I was going to have to be their early on Sunday to get everything set up. I’m tired and busy and I’ve already been working for months on it, plus, I have visitors staying at my house. Haven’t I done enough?!

“Oh, so you’re going to be one of ‘THOSE’ people,” he said. “The ones with the bad attitude.”

Hmmmphf.

Pasta salad it is.

I worked through my steaming bad attitude standing over a pot of boiling hot water.

Add a little oil, spices, and multi-color pasta spirals and ta-da...a great big bowl of what is now known around my house as Bad Attitude Salad.

There were a LOT of people at the anniversary celebration Sunday. More than they expected, I think. So I guess maybe my big bowl of Bad Attitude salad was one little, unnoticed thing that made the food and the blessings go a little further.

Even when I think I’ve done all I can do, God always shows me how He can squeeze out a little bit more.

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. John 6:9-11