God’s Fruit Salad

Chapter 1:

The Potluck

When I was growing up, one of my favorite activities was our church potluck. I grew up in a small town in Virginia. Even though it was a country church, our quarterly potlucks were epic. They were held on the grounds under big elm trees behind the church building. The older ladies at church were very serious about this event. Some of the stronger men put several long tables together, end to end, and the ladies carefully covered them with white tablecloths just for all the food. Smaller folding tables and chairs were scattered around for the adults, and the kids were expected to sit on a curb or under a tree. We never complained!

Everyone had to have their covered dishes in the church kitchen before Bible class. You couldn’t be late! The ladies puttered around the kitchen carrying what seemed like hundreds of white Corningware casseroles, steaming Crockpots of chicken and dumplings or pot roast, a rainbow of Tupperware bowls in every size, and many foil-covered thirteen-by-nine pans filled with everything from apple cobbler to brownies to chicken and rice dishes.

It was like an orchestrated dance in that kitchen, and we kids knew to stay out of the way! The ladies made sure every cake and pie was sliced and that every casserole had a serving spoon placed in it. They artistically laid out all the main dishes first, followed by assorted vegetables (mostly all kinds of green bean dishes, cheesy “funeral” potatoes, and buttered corn). Next came the many colorful salads, and finally the rolls and condiments, including our preacher’s pickled jalapeños (which were a novelty in Virginia back then).

Stacks of Styrofoam plates, napkins, and plasticware led the way to the food in two lines. Desserts gloriously adorned their own separate line of tables. Sometimes we would stroll past all the sweet choices and plan our visits so we would not miss out on our favorites. There was always that one church lady who forgot to make something and stopped by the A&P for some deli-fried chicken and a store-bought cake. Of course, they always just sat there, sad and untouched.

Before anyone could eat, of course, there was the blessing for the food. Some of those older deacons had the longest prayers, and everyone fidgeted in line waiting for that “amen.” Sometimes my sister and I made the mistake of standing near our mama during the prayer. Even with her eyes closed, she could tell we were wiggling around and would give us a quick hard pinch on our shoulders. But it was not easy to be still; those smells were heavenly, and our stomachs were growling.

Even after the prayer was over, we kids still had to wait for our turns at the buffet. The rule was that our visitors were first, followed by the elderly folk, then the rest of the adults, and last of all, us kids. Some of those elderly ladies were so slow, shuffling along with their plates balanced on their walkers. It was torture watching them from the side. Sometimes we “graciously” offered to help just to get them to move along faster.

One of my favorite dishes was always Mrs. Crowder’s fruit salad. It wasn’t anything like all the rest of those salads that were made with green or orange Jell-O, mini marshmallows, little mandarin oranges, and (God forbid!) shredded carrots. No, this salad was displayed in a beautiful lead crystal compote and had every kind of fruit you can imagine. It was a work of art, and I swear there was an angel choir smiling down and singing in appreciation.

You see, everyone knew that Mrs. Crowder’s fruit salad was legendary. It didn’t have any of that canned stuff in it. Nope. It was all fresh fruit, handpicked at the perfect ripeness. She had carefully and lovingly prepared every strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, pineapple, peach, apple, and pear. Even the grapes were cut in half. She added some secret ingredient that I now suspect was probably almond extract that enhanced the fruit flavors. There was also just the right amount of sugar that gave it the perfect sweetness. She was always so proud as everyone fussed over her masterpiece.

Mrs. Crowder is long gone, but to this day, I remember that colorful fruit salad more than any other dish at those potlucks. There was no written recipe. She just knew what fruits would go best together. Each fruit on its own would have been delicious, but it was just the right combination that made it the perfect salad. And she always made it with such love.

God’s plan for my life (and yours) is just like a wonderful fruit salad. His recipe is also made with love and is laden with the best choices for my spiritual life. Sometimes I’d like to just pick and choose the easy “ingredients” and ignore those that are hard to swallow. Sometimes I think I just don’t need some of them because they don’t really fit my lifestyle and personality. And other times, I just don’t like some of those ingredients because they take too much work and pain, and who wants that? But you see, that thinking won’t help me become what God wants me to be.

God intends for me to indulge in all of his divine recipe. When I mix all the ingredients together—these wonderful traits of the spirit-filled life—then I have a delicious fruit salad created for me by God himself. When I mix love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control together, as he talks about in Galatians 5:22–23, I will have a recipe lovingly created by a master chef that is guaranteed to give me a healthy, satisfying life in Christ.

So I can’t pick and choose. His fruit salad is only satisfying if I consume all of it, not just the parts I want. They work together in just the right combination, just like a recipe.