It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, or so we’ve heard it. Often, we mean not everyone likes something that is appreciated by others. Okay? Agreed. We each have a unique outlook on life, including what our tastebuds enjoy, what our dress code states it’s okay, or the entertainment that draws our attention.
An endless list, wouldn’t you agree?
The key is that for those things we do like, it’s a no-brainer, and we often have no clue as to “why.” On the flip side, we often do not know what we dislike about other things. Ask me about watermelon, and I’ll give you a story as to why I do not even like it in my home! If I get to choose peanut butter, then chunky is best. The darker the chocolate and the blacker the coffee. Hmm, Good! Savor that flavor!
The bottom line is that we know what we like and learn what we don’t like. Between those two extremes are a host of things we’ve never tried. We think we wouldn’t like it, so we stay away from it.
This morning’s question revolves around the idea that there are many options to choose from, so why not set up a few experiments and test the waters.
Savor the Flavor: Not all flavors savor the moment equally. We must choose what goes with the moment and accept that the result will be uniquely different than we thought it would be. Click To TweetWhat I’m Trying To Say
You get to choose your options throughout life, and, as with people, places, and things, you gravitate a certain way and ignore things that don’t fit in your wheelhouse.
When it comes to places, there are some locations I cannot enjoy because they don’t fit my personality. Before I reject them, I should at least consider what it would be like to go there. Is it a hot desert? Fuggedaboutit! But bring on the cold, snow, ice, and even throw in some wind, but give me the coolest place to hunker down when the good weather starts!
Pick on the topic of people. It’s said you choose your friends, but you are stuck with your family. We all have friends others do not like. We tolerate them at worst and laud them with praise at best. If I’m stuck with family, I must learn how to savor the flavor of variety. Put yourself in an uncomfortable position, and you can fight back, or go deep and silent (think submarine) and find the niche that will change the conversation.
Our personalities are developed through the years and across the miles. Some cannot help what they are like, but others see how they rub others the wrong way and change their interactions to fit into the moment. Why? They are working hard at savoring the flavor.
The Key?
It’s up to you how you handle the moments you are uncomfortable with. Get me around cigarette smoke, and I’ll choke up and sneeze my head off – but a good cigar or pipe smell is a flavor of smell I can savor and enjoy. I’m not sure why. There is a difference.
Think about Peter for a moment. In Acts 10, he had a vision of a variety of foods that were against the code of his people. “Rise. Slay. Eat!” No way! It’s unclean, and nothing has ever crossed this boundary of my life. Then the voice in his vision says, “What I have called clean, you cannot call unclean.” Changing the moment of savoring, he learns there is a different flavor he must learn to enjoy. At the end of the chapter, Peter utters these words:
In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality.
~Acts 10:34
What he discovered started the changing of his savoring response. It was no longer about a few; it was now about all. Everyone. Other. You. Them.They!
Maybe this is where we should be as we turn our attention to the ending race of life. It’s not about me and mine, what I like and reject, but how do I reach across the room and touch those that are not quite in the flavor bucket I enjoy savoring.
If we all learned a different path forward, I’m sure we could all change the world!