We usually work out earlier in the day. One day, however, we had some contractors doing some work outside. Things were not going like they were supposed to go, and Terry kept having to deal with them. (Seriously. Why even have contracts if people won’t honor their end of them? But I digress).
So as the hours ticked by, I looked at the clock and realized it was 4:45 PM. I was making chicken tortilla soup for dinner, and wanted to get it started and simmering. After all, with the rain that day bringing in the brisk, cool weather (it was about 87 degrees as opposed to 187 degrees. Alright, 187 might be a tad bit of an exaggeration, but y’all get what I’m saying) I thought a thick, spicy chicken tortilla soup was needed.
As I started prepping the soup, I diced an onion that made me weep. With every slice of the knife, tears began pouring out of me. I even said to Terry, “I’m not sure where Publix is getting their onions these days, but if I had to bet money, I would say somewhere along the equator.” Tears kept gushing out of my eyes, the onion was that strong.
I had the oil in my Dutch oven heating and was just about to slide the diced onions into the hot oil when Terry asked me, “Are you ready to go work out, now?”
Long pause.
Seriously?
I mean, did you not just hear me complaining about this onion I’m cutting over here?
I laughed and said, “Are you serious? I just started cutting the onion for dinner.”
Terry asked me, “Well, do you want to work out after dinner?”
For me, that’s always a no. I don’t like working out after eating a meal. So I said, “Let me just turn off the burner, and I’ll make dinner after we work out.”
Terry, “Are you sure?”
Me, “Absolutely. We need to keep our schedule.” (Workout schedule)
We work out in our garage, so it isn’t like we have to go very far. When we walked back inside the house after our workout, though, as soon as we opened the door … remember my comment about the onions coming from the equator?
That onion was unbelievably strong. One small onion made the whole house smell like an onion factory. Granted, I diced it up and then left it on the counter for about an hour and a half. But wowzer. Super strong, super potent, super onion-y.
While Terry hopped in the shower, I started making our chicken tortilla soup. I had everything ready and simmering and said I would take a shower and let the soup simmer for about half an hour so all the flavors could marry a little longer.
The soup turned out delicious, in spite of the super strong onion smell. I cleaned up the kitchen and then we cuddled up and watched TV that night, expecting the onion smell to go away. Around 3:30 or so the next morning, I woke up and all I could notice was the smell of onion. I rolled my eyes as I rolled over in bed, and thought, “how could one little onion permeate the whole house like this, and smell so stinkin’ strong?”
Which led me to think about sin. One little sin can permeate our hearts and minds so much and stink up our lives … if we let it.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” - Romans 12:2 (NLT)
That one little onion reminded me of how quickly one little action could make me copy the behavior of this world. And these days? It’s so easy to follow the world around us. A snarky comment on social media here, a snide comment to someone with opposing political views there … before we know it, we are full blown, name-calling people, debating with our neighbor instead of reflecting the love of Jesus.
It took burning a candle for hours the next day to get rid of the massive onion smell. From one little onion.
Just imagine what one hateful comment can do. One snarky reply. One mean name calling post, for laughs. “Sleepy Joe” or “Cadet Bone Spurs” or “Crazy Nancy,” “Little Marco,” the “China flu” … (the list goes on) all reflect the behavior of this world.
Praying for change and being love in the face of hatred and anger is allowing God to transform us into new people by changing the way we think. We are better than this name calling society in which we live. It can stop with us.
“Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
And that kind of behavior smells like Jesus, not like stinky onions.