Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8
“Yuck!” I groaned, looking disdainfully at the casserole dish that was offered to me at the dinner table. I quickly recovered my manners and modified my response with a more appropriate, “No, thank you!”
This routine played itself out week after week during my childhood. For whatever reason, I had decided that my mom’s signature macaroni and cheese looked gross… and surely tasted even worse than it looked. It did not matter that everyone else at the table seemed to relish the dish. Somehow, the combination of crusty cheese coating gooey noodles just didn’t sit well for me.
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Then one day, I think it was shortly after my tenth birthday, someone finally convinced me to at least try a tiny bit of the dish. So, mustering all the courage I could, I bravely raised my fork to my lips, closed my eyes tight and took my first, tentative bite. To my utter amazement, my taste buds encountered a delicious and delightful combination of savoury, kid-friendly goodness! To this day, my mom’s mac ‘n cheese remains one of my all time favorite dishes. I had no idea what I had been missing during all those years of saying “no”.
As we begin 2017, it occurs to me that there may be some new experiences, opportunities or alliances, that await you in your leadership journey. Perhaps like my ten-year old self, you have routinely said “no” or “not now”, to some things that you could be enjoying. In Psalm 34:8, the invitation is given to fully engage both our sense of taste and sight so that we can truly experience God’s goodness.
Sometimes “tasting” – like great leadership – may require the exercise of uncommon courage, tenacity, curiosity, creativity, or boldness. When you think about it, those heroes of faith that we admire most – like Esther, Gideon, Abraham, Noah, Ruth and Joseph to name a few – have often been “tasters” who demonstrated the willingness to try new things that resulted in “seeing” miraculous God-sized results.
I wonder what amazing discoveries might be awaiting you in 2017, if you will in faith try something new, novel or unexplored? Perhaps it’s time for you to take the “taste and see” challenge.
Ask yourself, “Where in my leadership do I want to experience more of the goodness of God?” Pray and seek God’s guidance about this identified area in your life and how it could benefit from a “taste and see” approach. Then watch as God presents novel opportunities for you to experience His goodness and grow your faith in the fresh, fascinating ways He longs to bless you.
Keturah
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