A few weeks ago Mr. Wonderful decided to set up his Pit Barrel Cooker to smoke a few Picanha roasts as a ‘Thank You’ for our employees.

For anyone unfamiliar with the world of smoked meats, Picanha, also known as the ‘Queen of Meats’, is a fairly rare delicacy that hails from Brazil and is sometimes hard to find, often expensive, and mouthwateringly delicious. 

It has become a new family favorite in our household, and Mr. Wonderful was excited to prepare and share a feast with our hard working crew.

While smoking meat is relatively simple, it does require a fair amount of time and effort. We thought our workers would also get a kick out of watching their boss spend the afternoon cooking while they worked with waves of seasoned, simmering beef drifting on the breeze. 

At 5:00 on Friday, Mr. Wonderful pulled the roasts from the cooker. We sliced and spread out thick slabs for everyone to enjoy in the break room as they punched out and officially started their weekend. We expected everyone to stay, at least for a few minutes, and partake of the feast…but…

By 5:05 everyone was gone. One guy bolted empty handed. Most grabbed a slab to go.

Hmph. Mr. Wonderful and I looked at each other, and our small mountain of delicious meat, and kind of scratched our heads. 

While our employees seemed to like the meat and appreciated the gesture, our feast had fallen flat. 

“I think they would have been just as happy with hot dogs,” Mr. Wonderful said as he sat down at the table and claimed a piece for himself.

“Are you angry?” I asked thinking it would be kind of hard not to be.

His answer floored me. 

“No, I’m not angry. I don’t think they understand what kind of feast was just offered to them. But you know, God gives us a feast. All the time. And how often do we miss it? But that doesn’t stop Him, and I’m not going to let this stop me.”

There in that break room we looked at that table full of our feast, knowing full well we couldn’t eat it all, let alone store it in our fridge, so we wrapped up what we could and headed to Jared and Lindsey’s.

Jared and Lindsey are friends from our church who had just welcomed a new baby girl into their family only to get hit with a horrific stomach virus a few days later. If anyone could use some fortifying, iron rich, nourishment in the form of roast beast it was THIS family.

What a joy it was to basically knock, drop, and go, and know from a text message sent a little while later what a blessing it was. 

Thus Mr. Wonderful’s ‘Ministry of Meats’ (M.O.M.) was officially born.

Since then we have also enjoyed bringing our feast to Pot Luck Sunday where a very sweet, older lady almost cried and had to ‘hug Mr. Wonderful’s neck,’ and we have big plans for future knock, drop, and gos. (Kathleen, we’re looking at you!)

It’s so much fun, and hits our go buttons in such a delightfully weird way, that I think his M.O.M. is just getting started.

And Mr. Wonderful is 100% right; the High King does offer us a feast, all the time, everyday, while we have a tendency to hanker after hot dogs.

For me this plays out in so many ways.

When I get too busy and caught up in any given day’s to-do list and I miss the sweet and gentle beauty of Warrior blowing dandelion puffs, or Hope reading in a patch of sunshine or Promise singing her baby brother to sleep. 

All gifts. All delicacies in the feast of His goodness, and I miss them all the time.

Or…

When I binge watch [insert Poldark, Gilmore Girls, The Crown, All Creatures Great & Small] instead of waiting and watching for Him.

Or…and this one is hard…when I open MY books instead of opening HIS book.

These aren’t bad things. Indeed they inspire me, soothe my soul, bring rest, relaxation, and delight. They are part of The High King’s feast, but they can’t sustain me on their own. 

If this is all I consume, these lesser things can quickly turn into a meal of hot dogs that satisfies for a few minutes but ultimately leaves me void of nutrients, versus the lavish feast of Union with Him that leaves me nourished and full. 

Frankfurters have their place. But the banquet has been laid out before us and we are always invited to come and partake from His table. The High King never stops offering Himself to us. His provision is always there, a feast, ready and waiting, and our best life, indeed our only life happens when we pull up a chair and grab the Picanha.

His love is fine wine.

His goodness sweet meets.

Meant to be savored and shared.

A feast never ending.