Pass the Jelly, Please!

Looks can be so deceiving! A while back, I attended a lovely dinner program at a nearby church. The friendship was great, the program was inspiring, and the food was delicious. We were in a large room with many ladies seated at tables decorated with linen tablecloths, silver eating utensils, china plates, etc. Just lovely.


The men of the church were the servers for the meal that night. They were excited about the task at hand and were scurrying around making sure that each table had what it needed. The aroma of food was permeating throughout the room. Y'all, I was so hungry! I had substituted that day, and my lunchtime was at 10:30! I think that I had forgotten to eat an afternoon snack, so my tummy was ready and waiting.


Our server brought out the salads first. They looked lovely! Then I realized that there was no honey mustard salad dressing hidden between the flowers, salt and pepper,or water glasses. So, I waited patiently. Sure enough, he came back to our table of 8 ladies. Y'all, he had a squeeze bottle of Smucker's Grape Jelly in his hands! We waited to hear what he was going to say. He simply asked, "Would you care for salad dressing?" In a Smucker's PLASTIC container?? At a beautiful church function??? Had he had a mental moment back there in the kitchen and grabbed the wrong container? No one said a word. Then, of course, I asked the QUESTION. " And what kind of dressing is it?" He responded that it was raspberry vinaigrette that he had made himself. My little 'ol brain was thinking should I let him ruin my lovely salad with something that he had concocted in the kitchen that would possibly ruin the taste? Taking a deep breath, I replied, "Sure, I'll have some." He joyfully squeezed out the berry colored dressing onto my salad--it did look very grape! I thanked him and gave it a try. Y'all, this dressing would have been one that Martha of Bethany would have been proud to have served Jesus and the disciples on any occasion! It was over the top! Out of this world! YUMMY!!


How many times do we pass up something or someone just because of the odd packaging? How many missed opportunities do we give up to listen or to share with someone just because how they look on the outside? I am guilty as charged. I have done this numerous times, I'm sad to say, and I am sure that I miss out on a blessing of giving or receiving just because that person didn't look like those I am used to. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that "...Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart." (HCV)


The next time that I feel a little uncomfortable about speaking to others to get to know them, I need to remember that squeeze bottle of jelly and simply look at their heart.

Many blessings!