A few weeks ago, in preparation for a weekend of family celebrations, I stumbled upon a recipe titled, “The World’s Greatest Lasagne”. Intrigued, I browsed through the recipe and was struck by the blend of simplicity and complexity involved in preparing this dish- along with the fabulous promised results of course! The assembly of different aspects of the dish seemed easy, while the homemade sauce required almost two hours of stirring and simmering to subtly blend its special flavors. I knew it was going to take effort and it was going to take time, but based on the reviews and title alone, it seemed well worth the effort for an upcoming special family dinner we were hosting.
A few days later, I spent several hours making the infamous lasagne, poured the wine, lit some candles and gathered my family around the table. The delicious pasta dish was served alongside warm crusty bread, a crisp green salad and my favorite cake from Whole Foods. The wine was enjoyed, the stories were rich, the laughter loud and the World’s Greatest Lasagne completely lived up to its name. The results were absolutely worth the effort.
As I enjoyed the evening, I was caught in a moment of pure gratitude not only for the dear faces of my husband, parents, daughter and brother seated around our dining room table that night, but also for the faces of my “extended family” the Lord has graciously surrounded me with in my every day life. The faces in this family that God made for me are those of my beautiful friends.
Building a family has to be challenging. I’m glad God is in charge of that because if it were up to me, I would fail a million times over. Being a part of a family can feel awkward at times, inconvenient and a little amazing too. While I have not known those closest to me my entire life, I am thankful to share life with these one time strangers who are now dear to my heart. It is easy to find people who will celebrate with you, but finding those who will stand in the muck with you? Those are the people in your tribe. Claim them. Love them, and by all means, celebrate their presence in your life every chance you get!
God builds family around us and the vulnerability, effort, and intentionality he asks from us in return are always worth the effort. God did not design us to live in isolated silos, He longs for us to be known, loved and cherished by a loving family that He designs for us. It is all a part of His recipe for our lives: a sprinkle of shared adventure here, a dash of grief there, a splash of laughter, added to an extra measure of joy….and simmer.
Later that night as I washed the dishes after everyone was gone or tucked into bed, it occurred to me that being a part of God’s family is a bit like cooking. Sometimes you just want to find something easy to make, but once you learn a little more about it, you realize that as in life, its the good stuff that usually takes the longest, requires the most effort, and also brings with it the greatest reward. Being a part of the family that God makes is always worth celebrating- no fancy lasagne necessary. (Although I highly recommend it!)
You can find the recipe for The World’s Best Lasagne HERE
Sarah L.
