Week 31: A Simmering Stew
A weekend trip to Atlanta and the smell of chili in the crockpot…
Each Sunday, my wife and I prepare, cook and eat a meal together — intentionally. Every Friday, I’ll be sharing our experience here in this space. I want to see the growth that will come in our marriage because of this. I hope you enjoy our story. You can find last week’s post here.
I stood at the gate watching planes launch into the sky. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest in the world, and I saw it firsthand. Every few seconds, another giant lept into the sky. I wondered where they were going as the jet fuel painted grey blotches onto the blue October sky.
Sarah and I were getting ready to board our flight home. We had been in Atlanta for a weekend trip to see her Uncle Chip and Aunt Rosemary. A weekend trip to Atlanta might sound busy, but (like spending time with Sarah’s parents) the trip was as relaxing and enjoyable as they come. We went for walks in the Georgia sun. I read most of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in one day. And we all went to the Braves/Tigers game in one of the last contests at Turner Field. It had been a trip for the ages.
As we sat down at our gate, I noticed that the windows looked out over multiple runways. Behind the adjacent terminal, you could see planes taking off into the sky. I got up to watch them while we waited to board. Something about airports excites me. I’ve always loved flying. Everyone is going somewhere. Everyone is doing something. You feel like somebody when you zoom above the clouds.
Even the airports fascinate me. I’ve always found it interesting that nobody really goes to the airport. It’s just a means to an end. You go there to go somewhere else. And yet, I’ve thought many times that, if I ever had a bunch of free time on my hands, I’d love to just go to the airport and watch planes take off. It makes me think of the song “It Won’t Be Long Now” from the Broadway musical In the Heights…
The neighborhood salon is the place I am working for the moment
As I cut their hair, ladies talk and share —
Every day, who’s doing who and why
The neighborhood salon doesn’t pay me what I wanna be making but I don’t mind
As I sweep the curb I can hear those turbo engines blazing a trail through the sky
I look up and think about the years gone by
But one day — I’m walkin’ to JFK and I’m gonna fly!
It won’t be long now!
Any day
There’s something about seeing those massive planes in the sky — you’re going somewhere and you can be somebody.
We boarded our plane and flew back to Chicago where David Charles was waiting to pick us up. Thanks again, Dad!
We got home and started prepping for dinner. October had just started, which meant the onset of fall. And nothing says fall quite like some pipin’ hot chili. So I went off to the store to get all the ingredients.
What I find interesting about chili or stew is the combination. You mix everything together…and then you let it simmer. You wait with expectation. I think I need to do that more often in life.
When I was sitting outside under the Georgia sun reading Harry Potter, life was simmering. I was taking the time to let the goodness around me stew a little. Too often when I’m back home, I hurriedly microwave everything amid a busy rush to get things done.
Don’t get me wrong, waiting is hard. Sarah and I checked the crockpot multiple times to see if the chili was done simmering. But then, when it’s finally ready, there’s an added flavor. It’s not the seasoning or the type of beans. It’s something else. I think it’s that excitement that only comes when you dip your spoon into something you’ve waited for.
Sarah and I sat together enjoying the tasty chili and the good memories. Once, before I took a bite of chili, I let the spoon hang in the air just a second longer. The steam rose to meet me. I breathed in the hot sweetness of turkey meat and chili powder. I was thankful we let it simmer. I was thankful for a good weekend and for family and friends. I was thankful for my wife and the life we share. I was thankful for my Heavenly Father and the many blessings He’s given me.
Mmmmmm…
