I often spend time reading articles related to many of my interests, including the history of Italian cuisine. Italian culture and all that goes with it has become an interest of mine. I admittedly prepare more Italian-style meals than any other cuisine, I am attempting (maybe more accurately stated, struggling) to learn Italian, and hope someday Debra and I will travel for an extended trip to Italy; however, what I’m reflecting on this morning is what seems to be a recognized tradition in serving an Italian meal, especially dinner.
The traditional Italian dinner is a 5-course affair, served one course at a time. Each course tends to be of smaller portions than what we generally expect in this country, especially in our southern traditions. This “pacing” of oneself is often critical to one thoroughly enjoying the complete meal experience. One will generally find that while the portions are smaller, the recipes are generally much “richer”, and here is where I want to veer off into my morning devotion today.
Our days are made up of small units of time that we refer to as hours, minutes, or seconds. Those units of time are filled with various levels of “richness” depending on our environment and circumstances. But often we rush through our days with no intentional focus, until…. the end of the day. As our day winds down, our bodies and minds are tired, and we may hastily group our memories into larger chunks of time we call morning, afternoon, or evening. And if we’re not careful, or intentional enough, the “bad” of the day dominates our thoughts, especially during the work week. We start to wish our lives away by desiring a “better tomorrow” and abandoning the gift of today. So, what should we pursue you ask? Well…
I believe that in this verse from 1 Thessalonians, we can find a foundation to build in our lives, days filled with joy. For me to say, “foundation to build”, implies a process for those of us who choose to spend some time meditating on this verse. So, I have purposely chose to reference this verse from the King James Version, so let’s start by spending our personal time and review a few other translations possibly. From there let’s think of this verse in the context of finding joy, and then layer into our meditation my reference to Italian meals and “chunks” of time. Where will this lead us? What may God reveal to you and me if we take the time to pull over to the side of this road called life, and spend some time reflecting and meditating on this verse?
Well, let’s see ….. May we all have a blessed day! …………
Amore e gioia per te
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)