Lessons from a chicken enchilada

"we who are strong 

ought to bear with the failings of the weak"

Romans 15:1

I made chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight.  I think.  Sort of.  I've only eaten them a few times in my life, and made them myself even fewer times.  And I wasn't working from a recipe.  Just kinda wingin' it...

I don't mind being brave in the kitchen.  I do a lot of tweaking and substituting.  Many's the time I've "perfected" a recipe.  Which means the creator put something in it I don't like, or didn't put something in it that I think would make it better.  So I "fix" it. 

But every once in awhile, I make a dinner where I'm really not sure what I'm doing.  Tonight was like that.  I just had an idea.  I didn't want to look up a recipe to work from because ~ well for starters because I was too lazy.  But I also knew a recipe would call for something I didn't have so I'd end up tweaking it anyway.  Plus I knew I had a couple ingredients I wanted to make sure I used, to get them out of the fridge (no one's eating those multi-grain tortillas I bought). 

And I had the kitchen to myself.  That's unusual.  Usually my Amazing, Awesome kids, or the Apple of my Eye ~ or all three ~ will help me make dinner, but the boys were at baseball practice, and my girl was working on her homework.  But that was exactly how I wanted it.  The one time I want the kitchen to myself, is when I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing.  I guess I want the freedom to make mistakes, realize it, and fix them, without being embarrassed. 

Anybody else know that feeling?  And maybe not just about cooking? 

I had a great conversation with a friend today.  I was sharing with her on a topic that has been frustrating me lately.  And I was so grateful that I could share what I was thinking and feeling, without worrying about being wrong, or feeling embarrassed or foolish.  It's such a blessing to have friends with whom we feel completely comfortable.  I'm lucky enough to have a few. 

Growing as a Christian means making mistakes sometimes.  It means trying and failing, or sometimes failing by not trying.  But God is faithful to put people around us who can encourage us, correct us, or guide us.  I hope you recognize those people in your life.  And I hope you are that in someone else's life.

~ "Therefore comfort each other 

 and edify one another, 

    just as you also are doing" ~

1 Thessalonians 5:11