Green Beans and Powdered Milk

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.                                                                                                     

1 Kings 4:29

I loved it when we had our family dinners – until the second grade when my brother, David went off to the Navy. David sat beside me at the kitchen table. He was about 13 years older than me and David would eat anything! So, I would look really pitiful at him and then look down at the green beans on my plate. He would wait until Mama and Daddy started talking and then he’d stick his fork on my plate and eat my green beans. He would also drink my milk for me. I loved sitting beside David at the kitchen table.

When David went to the Navy, I tried the pitiful look thing on my other brother, but to no avail. Al didn’t buy it. David had probably been eating his green beans, too.

I had to sit at the table until I ate my beans and drank my milk. That was the rule.

Back in those days, we had a milkman who delivered fresh whole milk two days a week to our back door. Mother kept a box of Carnation Instant Milk in the kitchen cabinet to use on days when we ran out of milk. Yuk. Milk from a box… I couldn’t stand it. Some days, mother would forget that we didn’t have milk until right before our meal. So, she would mix it up with cool tap water. When my brother and I would complain that we couldn’t drink that milk because it wasn’t cold, Mama would plunk a couple of ice cubes in our glass and say, “It’s cold now, so drink up”. I sure did miss David!

One Sunday afternoon, I got a brilliant idea. I knew that naptime came right after lunch, so after the family finished eating, I just stretched out across a couple of chairs at the kitchen table and pretended to be asleep. Pretty bright, huh? Sure enough, here came Mama and Daddy into the kitchen to see their little angel sleeping at the table. Daddy picked me up and put me in my little bed so that I could finish my nap.

I lay there for a few minutes and pretended to be asleep until I heard the sounds of the table being cleared and the dishes washed. Then, suddenly “nap time” was over for me. I got up and walked into the kitchen “all rested and refreshed”. I had outsmarted them! Success!

Mother dried her hands from the dishwater, gave me a big hug, and put my plate of now cold green beans and my class of watered down, warm, instant milk on the table. She then sat me down in front of them. As she walked out of the kitchen, I’m sure I heard her chuckle as she told me that I had to eat before I could go out to play. When did she get so smart? God must have given mothers wisdom as he gave Solomon.

Eventually, I learned to love green beans. I never quite got a warm feeling about milk, though. I sure do miss David!

Lord, You know what is good for us, even when we don’t. Just as my parents knew that milk and beans made me strong and healthy, you know what builds my Spirit. Thank you for guiding us through Your Word and hearing our prayers. Amen