Forgiveness, Africa and The Story of Chef Henry J Lamage

This has been on my heart a lot lately, especially thinking about walking WITH people and sharing in their struggles. I find that I often have really strange ideas of people and how they should walk with the lord. I think I think that Christians need to operate a specific way sometimes, but we are not far from temptation. The only way to end all wars per-say...is to love with the love of Christ. I hope I can do this in Kenya...

The Boil

"Salt quickens the boil,"
said Henry J Lamage to his class.
Willing minds and with lack of contempt
With the exception of the occasional ass.

"You see dear students, salt preserves
And is a catalyst for change,
But if you don't pay attention to the water
It will all boil away."

A lean quick hand raised above the nodding crowd,
A polite young boy who was bobbing up and down
Opened his mouth and said with luster
"Please sir may I be allowed?"

We flash back a few months,
Into a kitchen filled with tears.
The pots rattled and shook
Like they had never cooked in years

Henry J Lamage,
A brilliant cook indeed
Had found a note by the sink
That spoke a dark and broken plea.

"Dear Henry" he read out loud
With a hand against the fridge
And in a few seconds he read hundreds of words
That had been hidden for years.

It read "Dear Henry, a brilliance of food you have,
There is no doubt you are one in a mill.
Your wild hands by the chopping block
Never ever stayed still.

I want to say I'm leaving dear Henry
And not because of your love.
There are bigger things calling my name
And I think those are things I want."

"I don't understand!" yelled Henry to his hands
"Out all the things to miss,
I've scrutinized over cups and tablespoons
But how have I missed this?

We both have held on to grace,
like the feathers onto a dove.
We gave and learned, we both took turns
Misunderstanding and understanding love.

I've served wine and I've ate bread
Not knowing what it meant to forgive,
Here I stand broken and hurt and
I now know that it means to live."

We go back to the kitchen,
Where a question was to be posed,
And group of students did stand,
With wonder and awe about the Chefs heart of gold.

The lad of most curiousness
Shot his hand in the sky
"Sir, pardon my asking but your face is causing me grief,
You act like its not true, but didn't your heart and love just die?"

Henry J Lamage put down his salt shaker,
And wiped the grease off his brow
With his mild repose, tensions arose
But all still wanted to know how.

"My dear students" the chef said,
With a heavy heart on his lips;
"When you think you have given enough
And there is nothing left to give.
Remember that there is a thing called selfish pride
That lives as long as you will live.

You will think your entitled to anger and rage,
To feel like the whole worlds done you wrong.
But remember the world is feeling the same way
And limping while carrying on.

So, students as I was saying before this lesson
On the souls water and oil,
Salt not only preserves,
But it also quickens the boil.

Let the lesson be learned that
No matter how much salt you add today
If you don't pay attention to the water,
It will all boil away.