This weekend, I did something I have never done before. I entered a Chili Cook-Off competition. I have been asked for several years to participate but have always declined. Finally, I gave in. For the past several weeks, I have tried to decide what I could do that would be out of the ordinary and not present something that was like everyone else’s entry.
I decided on slow-cooked, apple smoked pulled pork chili. I made a test batch several weeks ago and received feedback from family members and several professional chefs I know. Bottom line – high marks and really creative. So I locked down my entry and last Friday made the recipe that I planned to submit. To cut to the chase, last night I finished second. Respectable for a first time entry; and I lost to a reigning champion who has dominated the competition for the last eight years or so. But I achieved my goal – I didn’t want to be embarrassed as a first time contestant…
However, it’s the things that I learned the past several weeks that have really impacted me. I noticed that people tend to gravitate toward things that are familiar to them. If it brings back memories, or recalls a smell or taste from their childhood, they are more apt to be receptive to eating, or in this case, voting for it. As I look back on it, my recipe was way out of the ordinary. There aren’t that many folks who have even heard of pulled pork chili, let alone taste it. And I was the only entry that wasn’t chicken or beef.
What is even more interesting to me is the fact that our family absolutely loved my creation. Not only Janet and the kids, but our grandchildren as well. And when I made the decision to enter the cook-off, I admit that I went with my strength. The family frequently requests the things that I smoke and pulled pork is at the top of the list. There are others as well: Thanksgiving turkey (coming up on #53 in a row this year), cranberry bread, Christmas brunch with egg casserole and home-made ice cream. Traditions are important in our family and food, as well as environment, play an important role in how our family operates and build memories.
I even got to thinking about families from different parts of the world, things such as the foods they eat, and how children are trained by their environment and the patterns they grow up with. The more I looked at these things, the more I have become convinced that these early patterns, while they may just seem innocuous, set the stage for how people react and feel comfortable as they age. Early memories run deep. It was even quite evident last night in the way that people voted during the competition. In fact, all of our children remarked to me this morning that they were grateful that my recipes remained true to the tastes of the family and that I didn’t “sell out” for the win. Not that I would have won by going mainstream or sticking with beef, but the comments hit home with me. Janet’s and my food creations are enjoyed by all of the kids – after all, they are used to what we have cooked since the day they were born. It’s second nature to them.
The relationships we have as a family, as well as our traditions, are hugely important to all of us. And this latest example was but another confirmation of what we all know. Our faith lives should be the same way we lead in the other areas of our family life.
Statistics show that those people who come to Christ early on in their lives are the most likely to have a lifelong faith. They are more likely to grow closer to Jesus and that is why it is so important to speak about Jesus to our youngest generations. As parents and grandparents, that responsibility lies with us. We also know that the chance of people coming to the knowledge of the saving grace of God diminishes with age.
It is much more difficult to convince teenagers and young adults that Jesus is the way – the only true way to salvation and life eternal, unless they have been exposed at home and in church by people who are truly invested in them and are considered to be trustworthy. Our daughter, Kristin, has spent her career working with children and their walk with Christ. Not only has she worked in the church for almost twenty years, but she is intimately familiar with how to appeal to, teach, coach, mentor and befriend those younger people who need to find a path to the Savior. And, once having achieved that, how to guide them to continue to grow their faith and become more Christlike as they mature.
Our verse for tonight comes from the Gospel of Mark. This disciple tells us, in Mark 10:13-16, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”
My encouragement this evening is that we must continue to pour our lives into our kids and grandchildren. My prayer is that we will have the perseverance to stay the course and attempt to selflessly complete one of the most important missions we will ever be charged with accomplishing. And it doesn’t end there. By then, most of us have, or will have, another generation (or two) to start all over with. Then, when your children are in their forties and fifties, and your grandchildren are in their teens and twenties, you may even get a number of votes in the local chili cook-off! I did; and I can attest that it is a great reward! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…