By: Jack Kale, Pastor Central Pensacola Beach
The sharp cheddar was melted and the buttered wheat bread was perfectly toasted on the top side as my grilled cheese sat so beautifully in a cast iron skillet. The bottom was the problem. I thought I had turned off the burner, but I didn’t. By the time I got back from changing TV channels, I realized it was going to be burned. Sliding the pancake turner under it, I flipped my wrist as I slid it onto my plate. My suspicion was confirmed. Ugh. A blackened grilled cheese! I smiled and brought it over the sink where I used a butterknife to scrape the charred top. A few seconds later, with a sink full of black crumbs, I was munching down on a great-tasting grilled cheese sandwich.
I’m glad I didn’t throw it away. It wasn’t good enough for a restaurant or company, but it was good enough for me. It wasn’t my best, but it still hit the spot. I hope I’m never too proud to scrape some burned toast.
Scraping the burned edge off some toast reveals a few character traits. Humility comes with the job as one recognizes the cooking fail that got them there. There’s some ingenuity that makes the best of a bad situation. Contentment surfaces as one realizes that a slightly burned grilled cheese is still good enough. Frugality is realized as a sandwich, and the next two slices in the loaf are saved.
Scraping toast also reminds me that people are worth saving. In a world where we seem to be asked to point fingers and villainize others, it’s worth remembering that nobody is perfect. With a little ingenuity, humility, contentment, and hard work, we can realize the value of those burnt toast people in our lives. Maybe we should spend a little more time trying to rescue our burnt toast people instead of trashing them.
Perhaps Jesus understood this better than anyone. In 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV), he says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” In John 3:16-17 (NIV), he tells us that: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
We’ve all scraped some toast at times. So let’s pour that same effort into restoring, rescuing, and saving people who are so much more important. Some of us already feel like we are doomed for the garbage can. Imagine how much happiness we could create by loving people enough to help them in spite of their burnt edges. Take a moment and be grateful for those people in your life who showed you patience and grace when you had been distasteful. If my burnt grilled cheese sandwich was worth a little extra effort to salvage, then know that you are worth saving too.