Mushrooms, Kohlrabi, Kale, Turnips and Other Semi-Gross Things

The other day, when I told Jonathan that we had a surprise to tell him and the boys when they got home, he told me he was bringing a surprise home, too!

Our surprise for the guys was the girls' sale of ten young hens, at a good price plus a few dollars extra from the happy buyer for good measure to the children.

Jonathan's surprise was three Shaggy Mane mushrooms, which he had picked by a sidewalk.

We looked up the details in our mushroom book, and discovered the name was Shaggy Mane, due to the shaggy look of this hollow-stemmed mushroom. It said they basically digest themselves within hours of picking them, so you need to prepare them promptly before they disintegrate into black ink (which one old one did). They may be sauteed after slicing them in half, so that is what we did with the two young mushrooms. Jonathan ate one half of one right away, and saved the rest for breakfast.

 I ate one half of one with my eggs. 

I have to admit, it was a little--shall we say--different. But after eating many other mushrooms, soggy and slimy, this one was quite edible. 

However, I have to admit, a piece of apple pie sounds more appealing.

You'd eat apple pie any day over purple-skinned kohlrabi and mushrooms and turnips, 

but God doesn't just dish apple pies out to His children all the time.

It's not all cookies and candy from a doting heavenly grandparent.

Much as we'd like to focus on the heavenly promises, they come with a price.

"If you want to follow Me,

and obtain the promises,

you must deny yourself and take up your cross."

Sometimes what is set before us is carrot sticks and slices of kohlrabi.

And stew with turnips, yellow squash and kale mixed in.

We were talking about Corrie ten Boom in prison, learning to give thanks for fleas, and having to eat turnip stew--and thought we ought to try some turnip stew ourselves. It would be good for us to have a taste of turnip--especially since the children grew some in their gardens.

Well, we'd like to push the bowl back where it came from--

and tell God, "No, thanks! Please give me apple pie."

 But its amazing, how a little ranch dressing can make the kohlrabi slices delicious.

And how a little salt and pepper can help out the turnip stew--

till the whole pot is eaten up in two meals by those whose hunger has not been ruined by cookies and candy.

And it's amazing how a little thankfulness can transform the lesser-loved situations and people in our lives,

and how a little grace can make a situation bearable.

 We'd all like to curl up and snooze in a life of pleasure and ease.

 But sometimes the gift that God gives is not wrapped in pink rose wrapper, but in thorns.

When we can say thank you for the thorns as well as roses,

for the turnips and shaggy mane mushrooms, 

for the squash and the kale

as well as the apple pie, 

maybe we will have gotten somewhere with God.