Use Whatcha Got Week 6: Apples to Applesauce
Three days late on updating this week regarding Use Whatcha Got. Sometimes life feels three days late. We are climbing out of illness in our household and returning to the piles. Oh, the piles.
This past Tuesday I had a UWG moment. I bought a ginormous pork tenderloin at Costco. It was the smallest one, but nothing in Costco is small. I cut it in half and froze the other half for another meal down the line. We enjoyed it but still had a huge amount of pork tenderloin left over. Determined not to let it go to waste I decided to serve it again a few days later.
Remember “pork chops and applesauce” from the Brady Bunch? (some are smiling, some are rolling their eyes, some have no idea). Well, we say the phrase (we, being Darrin and me…kids all have blank stares) around our table so it’s been part of the pairing when we serve pork tenderloin. Pork and applesauce, rice and veggies. yum!
I had planned to go to my favorite little market around the corner by “my Starbucks” to pick up some fresh veggies, but found they were closed. Returning home I remembered I had some apples sitting in the bottom of our fruit basket. Most of the fruit at the bottom of the fruit basket ends up getting thrown out. The fruit was still edible, no bruises, but the apples were starting to get soft. So they sat at the bottom while new fruit kept being placed on top.
I realized: I can make applesauce!!
Whipped out my favorite apple slicer corer gadget, placed the slices in a pot, boiled the apples, added cinnamon, let it simmer….blended it right up.
Michael walked by and lifted the lid off the pot, clearly drawn to the delicious smell,
“Do you even know how to make applesauce??”
“Dude. I used to make applesauce baby food all of the time for you and your siblings. Do I know how to make applesauce? Phesh!”
It was simple. It was tasty. It felt good to not waste and throw out what we had and to eat what already filled our fridge. It felt good to Use Whatcha Got.
So as we sat down enjoying our meal, my thoughts turned to how God is able to redeem stuff in my life I thought was destined for the trash. Some of my worst failures, deepest pains, stuff I’d rather not have walked through, He is able to bring about unexpected good from what can seem to be bad. And those very things seem to be the bridges into other’s lives. Those things are what make us human. And learning to walk forgiven and redeemed keeps my heart humbled and grateful. It helps remind me: God never gives up.
How’s UWG going for you??