When I made the move from Chicago to Michigan, I knew there were many things I’d miss—my friends and my second family at Grace Lutheran Church in Evanston, Illinois. What I often miss most, though, is the food from local restaurants—crab Rangoon, fish tacos, Korean dumplings, and western burgers. More than meals, these dishes offered sustenance and ritual. Life was better back then, I’m sometimes tempted to think.
Is looking back and remembering a bad thing? Not necessarily. But how we remember—and why are perhaps more important than what. I remember those meals not only because of the people with whom I shared them, and the adventure, curiosity, and oodles of free time I had to try new things. Do I lament the loss of late nights spent sharing sundaes with my friends? Or do I thank God for those experiences and a lifetime of always having something on my plate? Can I use my memories to remind me that I am called to ensure my neighbor has enough to eat, as well?
This message is an excerpt from “Welcome: How sweet the taste” by Sarah Carson in the September 2020 issue of Gather magazine.
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