Sauteed Cannellini Beans with Romaine Lettuce

 "Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it."

 A. W. Tozer

Food for the Palate

Ingredients:

3 small bunches of romaine lettuce, chopped

1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried oregano                                            

6 gloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper                            
2 14 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup of chicken stock

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 lemon

Instructions:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook until your onions are translucent and soft. Add oregano, salt and pepper. Add your beans. Make sure you combine everything in your pan well. Add chicken stock and cook until stock is reduced by 3/4. Now add your chopped lettuce to your pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. It will cook fast, so watch carefully. Once you have your lettuce to the consistency you like and add parsley. Remove from heat and add cheese. Toss well and remove from heat. Plate your beans and greens. Squeeze a drizzle of fresh lemon over your dish before serving. Tasty to the palate!

                                                          

Food for the Soul:

I love cannellini beans, but I always forget to use them. I also forget, more often than not, that I have fresh Romain lettuce in the fridge.  And while I love fresh crisp salads, sometimes you just don’t feel like eating one. I get so frustrated with myself when I end up having to toss the lettuce in the garbage (or compost) because it has gone bad. So, my forgetfulness and wastefulness has come to an end (at least for today).

As I was sautéing my greens, I started thinking about how happy I was that my remaining lettuce wasn’t going to be wasted this week. And then I wondered how much time in a day do I actually waste, only to look back at the end of it, and realize that I had tossed it away?

The Bible warns us of tossing our lives away in James 4:14: "How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog-now you see it; soon it is gone." James wants us to grasp the warning that we have no guarantee tomorrow will arrive. 

So, how do we live our lives when there are no guarantees that tomorrow will come? Well, first of all, because we can't control tomorrow, we should not take for granted the day we are currently living. We also need to recognize that our plans depend solely upon the Lord's will. In other words, we should heed the advice of James as he continues in verse 15: "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" He goes on to make it very clear in verse 16 what our attitudes should be; "We ought to live humbly and in recognition that God is in control, not us." 

We see here in the above verses what our attitude should be about tomorrow. Simply put, "We have no idea if we will see tomorrow or not, so trust God with what you have today." But what about the day we have been given? How do we spend this precious gift of life that the Lord has graced us with and not waste time on things that are of no importance?

First of all, let me make it very clear that I am not suggesting that every single minute of the day should be actively doing something and not resting. Of course, we should rest. And of course, we should enjoy the life that has been gifted to us. To do otherwise would be an insult to our Heavenly Father. But how do we go about seizing the day and not waste it? Better asked, "How do we live as if today were the last day we had here on earth?"

I believe the answer to this question is much simpler than we think. To start with, as Christians we should always be living out our days here on earth with an eternal perspective. This earthly life we live is just temporal. Heaven is our eternal home, and we should focus on such. So, the best way to start your day is to make time to be with God. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Seek out His will for the day He has given to you. 

After we have started our day out with God, we should be living out the day with an attitude of gratitude. As we go about the tasks that are before us for the day we need to be praising and thanking Him for the ability to do them!  A.W. Tozer said it best; "Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it." 

In the classic story of "A Christmas Carol" written by Charles Dickens, Joseph Marley was a man who has tragically wasted his life away. Marley appears early in the story as a ghost bound by chains and condemned to walk in wretchedness forever. The ghost is regretful of his fate but knows it is too late to change it; "No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused!" he whispers. He is then reminded of his past competence in business and finance, Marley rubs his hands and says, "Business!...Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drip of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" Marley's warning to Ebenezer Scrooge is part of what causes Scrooge to reexamine his priorities and stop wasting his life on selfish pursuits and hoarding his wealth. And we all know the rest of the story. Scrooge emerges as a transformed man of gratitude, humility, and generosity, determined to live a life of thanksgiving and kindness. 

So, if there is anything we can learn from Scrooge himself, it would be that we aren't here to serve ourselves. We are here to love God. Love others. Serve with thankfulness. And live each individual day that we have been gifted with as if it were our last. As long as we are still breathing, God has a plan and purpose for us. We certainly are not here to waste time and end up throwing our lives away. Remember, regretting wasted time, is more wasted time. Start today!  Satisfying to the Soul!