Cry Over Meatballs?
I was informed recently of a family in our community that recently went through a touch experience and were open to recieving meals. I felt led to step up and make a meal for this family. The directions were as follows. You go online, set up an account, pick your date and dish, post it, and let them know ahead of time. I signed up for meatballs and spaghetti, the family was gluten-free, so I spent a considerable amount on the noodles.
The special instructions were also posted: Bring the food to the front of the house. They have two friendly dogs. If no one is home, they will put a cooler in the back.
It seemed simple enough, except for one thing, I just don't like strange unfamiliar dogs...period!!! I can tolerate animals, especially dogs, but when they are questionable, it makes me fearful. I asked my hubby to take the meal out for me this evening because I knew he could handle the situation better than myself.
I began this afternoon making my meatballs. I got up this morning an thawed out the 2lbs. of ground beef. Since this was a special dish, I added ricotta, garlic powder, and Tuscan Marinara. Our house smelled like an Italian kitchen. I even made gluten-free cupcakes with strawberry whipped icing. They were sure to love this. I put so much love into icing the cupcakes. Everything was perfect,, I was kind of happy about allowing God to use my cooking skills to bless someone else.
It was getting ready for Brian to leave and he gets a call from work. A few minutes go by and he is still on the phone. Looks like I am going to have to drive out to deliver the food. I decided that if God has called me to do this, he will protect me from the dogs, and it will be fine.
I drive halfway across town and find the house. As I pull in the drivway, the gate is closed.
"Could this mean no one is home," thinking to myself. Sure enough, the dogs come running up to the fence. One is barking at me, but he seems friendly. I step out of the car and give him a pet or two. The othe dog comes running up too, he seems sweet and loving. Harmless right.
I grab the bag of food,the spaghetti and meatballs, the Texas toast, the sald and dressing, the strawberry cupcakes and proceed to the front of the house. The dogs follow me, jumping on me, jumping on the bag of food, sniff sniff sniff with lot's of excitement.
I start to get the feeling that this whole thing is just a bad idea, it just feels questionable. I get to the front door and no one is home.
"Hmmm, thinking again to myself, they said if no one is home, put the food on the back porch in the cooler that is suppose to be there". So that is what I proceed to do and the dogs follow me up the back stairs.
"Well, I've never...there is no cooler? What am I suppose to do now?" Thinking again to myself.
They knew I was coming out, it was on the calender. Is is possible they are coming back soon? Could it be that maybe they couldn't wait any longer and decided to leave for dinner? Many thoughts and questions go through my mind...What should I do is the biggest question?
The dogs are sniffing the bag, they are expecting food..."Oh, if Brian had been here instead of me, he would know exactly what to do, but I can't even call him, my cell phone is dead." Thinking again to myself.
I make the final decision after being put between a rock and hardplace, to just leave the food on the front porch and so I did. I dropped it off, just wanting to cry. I couldn't believe the cooler wasn't out there, I couldn't believe no one was home. I couldn't believe that I did all this and there is a question in my mind that the dogs may get the food. If I take the food with me, and they come home, then they are going to wonder about the meatballs and spaghetti. If I take the food back with me, the dogs may attack me b/c I have basically teased them. I couldn't look back, I just left the food and got in the car. I had to back up the road, and pass the house in order to go back home. As I pass the house in my car, of course, you can only imagine, the dogs are tearing into the food. Again, I just wanted to cry. I spent money, time, TLC on those meatballs and food. How stupid was this stupid meal thing was all I could say. I was really upset, the gas it took to drive out, the food money, the time to prepare the meal, the time it took to set up the account to even be able to volunteer, I was disgusted over it ALL.
Then I got real with God, how could I get mad at this situation, this family just had something very tragic happen to them. How could I be so selfish, yet I was angry. I was so angry mostly with myself. The last thing I heard out of Brian's mouth before I left was " don't get the food out of the car until you know for sure they are home, that way if the dogs do show up they won't be fiesty."
This has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever done...the stupiest, it's the icing on them cupcakes b/c that is exactly what the dogs went for first, the icing on those precious cupcakes I painstakingly iced!!!
I remeber the bible verse, Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. So I delivered a meal for Jesus. I had so much joy come over me that I almost had to pull over on the side the road. The Holy Spirit hit me all at once. I started laughing at the whole thing, what else could I do, cry over meatballs? Some may say, it's just your nerves....I don't think so, I think it was God giving me something that passes all understanding. Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. In the book of Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones. God showed up and he gave me joy. I passed a church on the way home, and it's sign reads, "Jesus Loves You". When I saw that, I got messed up even more. Jesus sent me there, whether the dogs or the family get the food, my Lord thought enough to bless me tonight and I really needed it more than anyone knows. What if they get a big laugh too, I am afraid there may be a big mess, but I pray that a good laugh is in store for the heart as I needed one. I was put between a rock and a hardplace.
I tried to get serious b/c I did have to drive home and tell the spouse how I wasted $30.00 on dogs, but God would not let me get upset about it, he totally removed all anxiety and fear and like I said, I just had JOY in my spirit. It was amazing. He wouldn't even let me feel like an idiot, I think this was all planned out, he just showed up and gave me an immense amount of laughter. If your reading this, I pray you are wanting that same annointing of JOY, it is contagious, ask for it, it is good for the spirit.
My husband told me when I got home, "Melissa, you should of taken the food with you back to the car, that is what I would of done."
I said in response, "Well, you were suppose to go remember, because you are good at this kind of stuff...Not Me." It all worked out the way it was suppose too though, I think. :)
I have no idea what is to come of this meal disaster, but I pray that God has great plans and I pray that the dogs left some food untouched.
The special instructions were also posted: Bring the food to the front of the house. They have two friendly dogs. If no one is home, they will put a cooler in the back.
It seemed simple enough, except for one thing, I just don't like strange unfamiliar dogs...period!!! I can tolerate animals, especially dogs, but when they are questionable, it makes me fearful. I asked my hubby to take the meal out for me this evening because I knew he could handle the situation better than myself.
I began this afternoon making my meatballs. I got up this morning an thawed out the 2lbs. of ground beef. Since this was a special dish, I added ricotta, garlic powder, and Tuscan Marinara. Our house smelled like an Italian kitchen. I even made gluten-free cupcakes with strawberry whipped icing. They were sure to love this. I put so much love into icing the cupcakes. Everything was perfect,, I was kind of happy about allowing God to use my cooking skills to bless someone else.
It was getting ready for Brian to leave and he gets a call from work. A few minutes go by and he is still on the phone. Looks like I am going to have to drive out to deliver the food. I decided that if God has called me to do this, he will protect me from the dogs, and it will be fine.
I drive halfway across town and find the house. As I pull in the drivway, the gate is closed.
"Could this mean no one is home," thinking to myself. Sure enough, the dogs come running up to the fence. One is barking at me, but he seems friendly. I step out of the car and give him a pet or two. The othe dog comes running up too, he seems sweet and loving. Harmless right.
I grab the bag of food,the spaghetti and meatballs, the Texas toast, the sald and dressing, the strawberry cupcakes and proceed to the front of the house. The dogs follow me, jumping on me, jumping on the bag of food, sniff sniff sniff with lot's of excitement.
I start to get the feeling that this whole thing is just a bad idea, it just feels questionable. I get to the front door and no one is home.
"Hmmm, thinking again to myself, they said if no one is home, put the food on the back porch in the cooler that is suppose to be there". So that is what I proceed to do and the dogs follow me up the back stairs.
"Well, I've never...there is no cooler? What am I suppose to do now?" Thinking again to myself.
They knew I was coming out, it was on the calender. Is is possible they are coming back soon? Could it be that maybe they couldn't wait any longer and decided to leave for dinner? Many thoughts and questions go through my mind...What should I do is the biggest question?
The dogs are sniffing the bag, they are expecting food..."Oh, if Brian had been here instead of me, he would know exactly what to do, but I can't even call him, my cell phone is dead." Thinking again to myself.
I make the final decision after being put between a rock and hardplace, to just leave the food on the front porch and so I did. I dropped it off, just wanting to cry. I couldn't believe the cooler wasn't out there, I couldn't believe no one was home. I couldn't believe that I did all this and there is a question in my mind that the dogs may get the food. If I take the food with me, and they come home, then they are going to wonder about the meatballs and spaghetti. If I take the food back with me, the dogs may attack me b/c I have basically teased them. I couldn't look back, I just left the food and got in the car. I had to back up the road, and pass the house in order to go back home. As I pass the house in my car, of course, you can only imagine, the dogs are tearing into the food. Again, I just wanted to cry. I spent money, time, TLC on those meatballs and food. How stupid was this stupid meal thing was all I could say. I was really upset, the gas it took to drive out, the food money, the time to prepare the meal, the time it took to set up the account to even be able to volunteer, I was disgusted over it ALL.
Then I got real with God, how could I get mad at this situation, this family just had something very tragic happen to them. How could I be so selfish, yet I was angry. I was so angry mostly with myself. The last thing I heard out of Brian's mouth before I left was " don't get the food out of the car until you know for sure they are home, that way if the dogs do show up they won't be fiesty."
This has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever done...the stupiest, it's the icing on them cupcakes b/c that is exactly what the dogs went for first, the icing on those precious cupcakes I painstakingly iced!!!
I remeber the bible verse, Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. So I delivered a meal for Jesus. I had so much joy come over me that I almost had to pull over on the side the road. The Holy Spirit hit me all at once. I started laughing at the whole thing, what else could I do, cry over meatballs? Some may say, it's just your nerves....I don't think so, I think it was God giving me something that passes all understanding. Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. In the book of Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones. God showed up and he gave me joy. I passed a church on the way home, and it's sign reads, "Jesus Loves You". When I saw that, I got messed up even more. Jesus sent me there, whether the dogs or the family get the food, my Lord thought enough to bless me tonight and I really needed it more than anyone knows. What if they get a big laugh too, I am afraid there may be a big mess, but I pray that a good laugh is in store for the heart as I needed one. I was put between a rock and a hardplace.
I tried to get serious b/c I did have to drive home and tell the spouse how I wasted $30.00 on dogs, but God would not let me get upset about it, he totally removed all anxiety and fear and like I said, I just had JOY in my spirit. It was amazing. He wouldn't even let me feel like an idiot, I think this was all planned out, he just showed up and gave me an immense amount of laughter. If your reading this, I pray you are wanting that same annointing of JOY, it is contagious, ask for it, it is good for the spirit.
My husband told me when I got home, "Melissa, you should of taken the food with you back to the car, that is what I would of done."
I said in response, "Well, you were suppose to go remember, because you are good at this kind of stuff...Not Me." It all worked out the way it was suppose too though, I think. :)
I have no idea what is to come of this meal disaster, but I pray that God has great plans and I pray that the dogs left some food untouched.
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