Round Lettuce

I do our main food shopping once a week.
I usually have to go back for milk and produce.
I needed to run to the store for bananas and mixed greens.

I enjoy making a salad for lunch.
Mixed greens, red and green peppers, radish, celery, tomato, grapes, garbanzo beans, black olives, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds sprinkled on top!
Homemade olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

As I was buying my mixed greens, I was suddenly fifteen…shopping at the grocery store.

After my mother died, I had to do the cooking and the grocery shopping.
I was often with her at the grocery store.
Up until that point, I never had to do any of the shopping on my own.

My mother was a good cook but she did not write recipes down.
So certain recipes, that were favorites of mine, were lost.

When I was a girl, a salad wasn’t served with the variety of vegetables that I enjoy today.
A salad consisted of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a bit of dressing.

I remember going to the grocery store, trying to remember all the things she used to buy.

On the produce aisle, tomatoes were easy to find.
But the lettuce…
I just couldn’t find the kind she used.

I saw a man restocking the produce, so I asked him.
Do you have any round lettuce?
At first, without looking up, he seemed slightly annoyed.
This was probably the hundredth question he was asked that day.

He looked up and smiled because he recognized me.
Do you have any round lettuce? I repeated, just in case he missed it the first time.
Round lettuce? I don’t know…Oh, you mean this?
He walked over to another section and held up exactly what I needed.
Yes, that’s it!
Honey, that’s called iceberg lettuce. Now you know the name…for the next time.

Whenever I came into the store, he would see me and smile.
I put some fresh round lettuce out just for you!

He knew why I was doing the shopping.
He looked out for me each time I came to the grocery store.

I had no idea that lettuce had different names.
I only knew my lettuce by its description.

Round lettuce.
Descriptions.

Jacob, the deceiver.
David, a man after God’s own heart.
Solomon, a man of wisdom.
John the Baptist, the Elijah who is to come.
Nicodemus, the man who came to Jesus at night.
Peter, the rock.
John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.
Judas, the betrayer.

I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. (Revelation 2:17)

Can you imagine having a new name?
What would your description be?
Do you ever think about what would follow the comma after your name?

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”
“How do you know me?” Nathaniel asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you.” Then Nathaniel declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:47-51)

Nathaniel was praying under the fig tree.
Good Jewish boys prayed for the Messiah to come.
No one was with Nathaniel while he was praying.
There is only one explanation as to how Jesus knew that much about Nathaniel.
He is the Messiah…the Son of God…the King of Israel.

Nathaniel must have been so encouraged by Jesus’ words.
A true Israelite…in whom there is nothing false.
Oh, to have those words following the comma after his name.

Only Jesus knows us that well.
Only Jesus knows what is in the recesses of our heart.
We may fool others with our outer persona…but we will never fool Jesus.
All we are is laid bare before Him.

And…He loves us anyway!

We are very good at tucking bits and pieces of ourselves away.
We are very careful to reveal only little bits of ourselves at a time.
To be fully known is a wonderfully, intimidating thing.

Not in the Hands of Jesus.

To be fully known is to be fully loved…for who we are…and who we will be…in Him.
He knows how we are going to turn out.
He knows all our mistakes and our disobedience and our stubbornness.

He redeems all of that when we trust in Him alone.
He restores us…so that what follows the comma after our name is really true!

 

 

2 responses to “Round Lettuce”

1. Did I interrupt a train of thought yesterday? Lettuce in hand looking at banana’s …. Sorry if I did. Was just nice to bump into you.

   Reply

   • Marcie,
     YOU…interrupt me?
     NEVER! I always have time for you!
     I was in my own little world, yesterday…remembering!
     Gina

     Reply