Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
While standing in the fast food line, the lady next to Mary Rose and her family was quietly singing the words,
* “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way.
We can serve your broiled beef whopper fresh with everything on topper, any way you think it’s proper, have it your way,
Have it your way, have it your way! Have it your way, have it your way!”
She smiled and giggled as she looked at Mary Rose who normally didn’t hear such singing at a fast food restaurant.
She said, “I bet you have never heard that song before. Mary Rose shook her head and said, “No”. Her parents smiled as the lady reminisced about hearing that song over and over when she was a teenager.
Sitting down with their food, Mary Rose, and her parents began unfolding their hamburgers making sure they each had the correct order. Mary Rose was so glad hers did not have any dill pickles or tomato. Just cheese, ketchup, and mustard. She noticed they had all gotten different toppings. Mama loved dill pickles, onions, and mayonnaise. Daddy had everything piled on his burger. It made his burger look so tall. “How are you ever going to put that tall burger into your mouth,” Mary Rose asked. “Very carefully and with lots of napkins,” Daddy replied.
After he lead the prayer, Mama began thinking about how blessed they were to live in a country where they are actually encouraged by a restaurant to be choosy about what kinds of toppings they put on their hamburger. She also thought about all the different tastes people had for food, though she had to admit, even she didn’t like to eat everything out there.
She said, “God has blessed us with so many different kinds of food. What foods can you name that you like?” Mary Rose listed such foods as french fries, strawberry shakes, chocolate, bananas, chips, cheese, carrots, fried chicken, cheesy crackers, etc. Then Mama asked, “What kinds of food would you rather not eat?” Mary Rose said, “Lima beans, hot sauce, potato salad, and dill pickles, yuck.”
Mama added how that she, as a young girl didn’t really like dill pickles either but as she grew her taste changed and now they really taste good to her.
“Maybe my taste will change, “Mary Rose replied.
Daddy swallowed a bite and said, “Sometimes we have to eat foods that we don’t like to stay physically healthy, and then there are always those foods that may seem appealing but aren’t good for us.
“Especially if we’re allergic to them,” added Mary Rose.
“The foods that aren’t really healthy for us but seem to taste sooo good, like this strawberry shake, are kind of like the behaviors the Bible tells us are not spiritually good or healthy for us. Galatians 5:16-21. Like impurity, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, envying, drunkenness, … and things like these, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
He went on to say, “When I think of being spiritually healthy the Bible has lots and lots of verses to live by. 2 Peter 1:5-11, Galatians 5:22-26. Sometimes these things are “hard to swallow” or live by because we haven’t learned to enjoy them, like foods that don’t taste so well to us.” But we try to obey God’s words because to behave in these manners is good for us and we will not only grow spiritually but God will be pleased with us.”
God wants our taste to develop and change, to actually enjoy and love the things He wants us to do that may be difficult for us to enjoy now. We cannot be choosy and leave parts of God’s Word out of our lives the way we do when we build a burger at a fast food place. We have to “eat it all” even the parts that don’t “taste” so great. Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3b
During the next week, one day after school, Mary Rose’ found a new magnet game on the refrigerator. Mama had thought of a way to help them think about developing a taste for the Word of God. It was all the parts of a hamburger piled high. There were 27 pieces to this burger. Each individual part of the burger had a book of the New Testament on it. Mary Rose had to build her burger by putting each book of the Bible in order beginning with the bottom hamburger bun that had the name Matthew on it. The top bun said Revelation and all the other books were on the burger fixings in between. What a fun game.
And eventually, maybe Mary Rose would even develop a taste for pickles.
Click on the star below to find this months’ “Gold Star” Visual Aids!
Greetings!!
To my sister Bible class teachers,
How is your sense of taste these days? For sure there are lots of yummy things to taste around this time of year, though when it comes to food we may differ in our likes and dislikes. I am sure all of us can relate when it comes to eating something we disliked as a child and still may. At times, God’s Word definitely can be an acquired taste. Upon saying this I do however recall another commercial. Remember this? “Try it Mikey, you’ll like it!” How can one even begin to develop a taste for the Word of God if one does not try it? Just as our students are encouraged to try new foods by their parents, let us encourage them to also taste and see that the Lord is good. I continue to appreciate all of you and your love for God and His little lambs.
My prayers and encouragement go with you.
In His service,
Gwendolyn Schnell
* Words to song – Burger King Theme Song
She enjoys opening the Word of God with various ages, but children are one of her all-time favorites. Gwen has had the pleasure of putting the Word into the hearts of children for over 40 years and loves it still! Gwen also loves to conduct personal home Bible studies.
Gwen has been married to her husband Dan for over 45 years. He has been the pulpit minister at the Owasso Church of Christ in Owasso Oklahoma for over 26 years. They both love working with this congregation. They are richly blessed with 3 grown children who along with their spouses love and serve in the Lord’s kingdom in various ways. Gwen and Dan are even further blessed to have Jonathan, Matthew, Micaiah, Lydia, and Esther Rose join the ranks making them Grandma/Nina and Opa!
Gwen enjoys lectureships, outdoors, good movies, reading, crafting/sewing, organizing, pizza, and a comfortable chair.
She is the author of the book, Mary Rose & Me Learn Bible Truths Together! Mary Rose will help you love God, others, and yourself! Check it out at the link below!
https://www.amazon.com/Keaac-Womens-Pieces-Crewneck-Sleeve/dp/1943245150#customerReviews
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Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!