Stop and Smell the Onions
written by Debbie Milton
My family spent many hours on the ball field for baseball practices and games. The boys were playing, my husband was coaching, and I was keeping score. Everyone came home extremely hungry and impatiently waited until dinner was ready. I had to work fast to get anything on the table for those four staving men.
In the meantime, though, I quickly fried up a few onions in a little oil.
Really?!….
Yes!
I had read that there is something about the smell of cooking onions that would assure those hungry men that food was on the way. And they waited more patiently.
I have friends that are waiting patiently for the imminent moment when they will look into the face of Him Who satisfied every hunger of their starving hearts. They may be experiencing pain of body, confusion of mind, and longing of heart; but they are resting. They have hope in Christ, and they are awaiting Heaven with God’s unsurpassed peace and His all-sufficient grace.
They are smelling the onions!
For the ones watching, though, there is sadness and fatigue, but there is comfort and assurance because Jesus has prepared a place for their loved ones (John 14:2).
They, too, are smelling the onions.
How do they do that? How will we do that when we face either of these situations?
- “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. ” Colossians 3:16
- “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.” I Thessalonians 5:17-18
- Be “fruitful in every good word.” Colossians 1:10
And there is so much more!
- “And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
- “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7
One day, if the Lord does not return first, we will experience these times. In the meantime, you’ll find me wondering whether to buy red, white, or Vidalia.