Chef of the Evening

Here's another post from my dad. I absolutely LOVED doing this!

I was working on a five-year plan for work one summer evening on our front porch when it occurred to me that we should have a five-year plan for our family. At that time, all four kids were still at home so I projected into the future for a moment. Of all the priorities to consider, the first thing that came to mind was, “Our kids don’t know how to cook!” They would soon be off to college and later be on their own without the proper knowledge of the culinary arts. In some Italian neighborhoods, that could get a guy beat up.

I consulted with Donna and we agreed that we would give each child $20 to make dinner for the rest of the family. They could keep what change was left over but they would have to plan the menu, shop, cook the meal and then clean up. I honestly thought that Daniel, who was about 10 at the time, would buy a box of Rice Krispies and pocket the rest of the cash. One by one, they scheduled their meals. The two oldest provided the transportation to the supermarket for the younger ones and it wasn’t long before everything was set.

I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. Very much surprised. I had not expected the food to look and taste so good. They did a great job. I was taken by how serious they were about their responsibly to provide a meal for the rest of us. I was also surprised by the reaction that we got from our extended family when they heard about what we were doing. A couple of them joined us on one or two of the nights and lavishly praised the chef-of-the-evening for their efforts.

Serving the family made them appear and act grown up. They had been challenged and then exceeded our expectations. There was something special in the air those nights and everyone sensed it.

How many times have we experienced moments in our lives that have made us pause and watch as God helps us, and the people in our lives, to grow up just a little bit more on the inside?

- Ken