There comes days when nothing seems to go as you want. Every door is closed in your face. Usually, this is a figurative notion. But in today’s society, literally every door is being closed. For many, in recent weeks, the opportunity knocking on their doors was snatched away before they could even get their hands on the doorknob. This pandemic not only took the opportunity, but the whole dang door. I’ve seen dreams taken and hard work gone right out the window.
Hope is the most valuable asset a person can possess. Success and failures come and go. There will be ups and downs in life. But if we don’t maintain some sense of hope to carry us over the hill, we will not muster the strength to see victory in the end. At this point in our lives, hope is about as rare as a 12-pack of toilet paper.
It was only a few years back that I was sitting in the floor, tears streaming down my face, completely hopeless. For months, I had on set-back after another. Everything I had worked for was being snatched away, one-by-one, slowly yet all at once. I had nothing but hope at one point, and then that was snatched away too. “Why is this happening to me?” I cried. And then I remember why- I had prayed for it.
Yep, you read that right. I had prayed for it. Did I pray to lose everything in my life? No. Of course I didn’t. But I threw my hands in the air and prayed for God to just take over; and lead me in the right direction. And, you know the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” God knows me. He knows I can’t take a hint to save my soul; and that I am always, ALWAYS going in ten different directions at once. So, in order to get me where I was supposed to be (here in Belzoni with my Slingshot and friends), he had to take all the distractions and pipe dreams away.
I am just as scared, frustrated, and bored as the next person. But, I can’t help but feel like I’ve been here before. Just as a child has to go into “time out” to reflect on what they’ve done wrong, maybe God has given us all a “time out” to reflect on all the things we’ve done wrong, clear the clutter that has accumulated in our lives, and point us back in the right direction.
I’m craving New Orleans. I love it so much. I love the diversity, the art, the mystery of what lurks around the corner. But mostly, I love the food! There is a quote that I love, ” Gumbo is hard to get right…Like life, there’s no one way to do it,& a hundred ways, from here to Sunday, to get it dead wrong.”- Author: Kevin Young. He’s right. Life is hard, easy to screw up; and we are all trying our best to figure it out along the way. For many of my friends, they thought they had mastered the recipe of life, and then Covid-19 dumped a whole bottle of cilantro in the mix to ruin the dish! Now they are forced with the decision to try to fix it; or throw out the entire pot and settle for sandwiches.
Too many cooks can destroy the broth. When we are running in too many different directions and life becomes too chaotic, the Master Chef will run everyone out of the kitchen. Maybe our gumbo was on the verge of scorching. Maybe this pandemic is not taking the opportunities away; but pointing us to the right door where the real opportunity for us awaits. God is the Master Chef, He is the only that knows the perfect recipe for each of us. So, instead of scrambling around through the spice rack, trying to figure out how to make it better; why don’t we just give Him the wooden spoon, and let Him stir the pot as He sees fit.
In the meantime….we can enjoy this recipe I found online for a quick and easy seafood and sausage gumbo. Of course, everyone has their own recipe and preferences. Just like life, the diversity is what makes gumbo so special!
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo:
Ingredients: (1) 4 tbsp. butter (2) 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (3) 1 small yellow onion (4) 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (5) 2 celery ribs, chopped (6) 2 cloves garlic, minced (7) 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (8) 1 tbsp. cajun seasoning (without salt) (9) kosher salt (10) Freshly ground black pepper (11) 1 bay leaf (12) 1 (15-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (13) 4 c. chicken broth (14) 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (15) 3 green onions, (16) sliced cooked white rice, for serving
- In a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter, then add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until dark caramel colored, about 10 minutes.
- Add onions, peppers, and celery, and stir until softened, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and sausage, then season with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bay leaf, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Once shrimp is pink and cooked through, taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish.
- Serve spooned on top of white rice.
Lessons Learned From The Rainbow 
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