Bread and Peanut Butter

There are moments in life that you will never forget, from the day you graduate high school to the day you marry the love of your life. There are things in life that Americans look forward to, that they want to pursue and accomplish before sitting down and enjoying life. Americans are in such a rush to do the next thing and find the next answer, they never sit down and enjoy the simple things presented in front of them.

When is the last time you sat down and had a piece of bread with peanut butter on it? Do you think it tasted extraordinary?

Probably not... but why not? I mean, peanut butter is amazing!

Meet my friend, Chesly, from Nicaragua. Chesly is from a village outside of Puerto Cabezas, and he was brought to Verbo by Lucas. Chesly did not know what many things were,  from soap to the toilet- he had no clue. Not only was Chesly unfamiliar with objects we brush off our shoulders, he also spoke no Spanish or English, solely Miskito. But he was ready to learn and enjoy everything he came in contact with.

I was only with Chesly for about an hour one night at dinner, but that night was my favorite dinner experience in Nicaragua. I sat across from Chesly and to watch the smile on his face is indescribable. He was thankful for the opportunity to be at the table, eating food, with a group of strangers that look nothing like him who took him under their wings. Throughout dinner, Chesly started to learn a few miscellaneous English words, he was ready to dive into this new world presented to him.

The reason I write about Chesly is not to make you feel bad for him or to have you want to change the world, but to simply change your mindset. My favorite part of dinner was when Chesly ate a piece of bread with peanut butter on it... his reaction was how we should view every blessing that God has placed in our lives.

Look at his amazement, his love. And for what? Some bread and peanut butter. I cannot even imagine what our lives would look like if we saw each event that we endured like this. If we looked at life with the same amazement that Chesly tasted in that peanut butter.

Take a step back every now and then and think, would I be thankful for just a piece of bread and some peanut butter? I sure hope one day I will have that same look on my face when presented with what God has planned for me.

I no longer want to argue with God, be mad at God, or wonder why He did not do it my way. Instead, I want to look at Him in amazement because He made something as wonderful as peanut butter.