Our taste buds can lead us to wonder as we enjoy various foods and drinks. Each different taste we encounter can inspire us with gratitude for the creative bounty God has given us to enjoy. Our sense of taste also triggers memories in our minds, and some of those may evoke feelings of awe for us.
In Wake Up to Wonder, I describe how my daughter’s Girl Scout troop savored the wonder of cooking a fresh vegetable stew together. They used a riot of vegetables: potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, celery, cabbage, squash, mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, green beans, lentil beans, peas, and corn. Then they added even more ingredients for seasoning: chopped garlic cloves, parsley, salt, and pepper. Since the girls added so many different ingredients, they anticipated that the tastes would all just blend together into something bland. They joked that the stew would taste like “nothing.” However, when they ate the stew, they were surprised by how each flavor complemented the others, delighting them with wonder. God, in his creativity, has given us a myriad of wonderful options to choose for our meals. We too can be creative, exploring and savoring various tastes.
Different foods and beverages may also lead us to wonder by reminding us of something wonderful. Anytime I eat vanilla wafers or drink white grape juice, those tastes trigger memories of wonderful visits to my great grandmother’s house when I was a girl. Great Grandma Rena served a snack of wafers and juice every single time I visited her. Whenever I taste their crisp, refreshing tastes now, I’m transported back in time to those carefree visits when I sat with Great Grandma in her old-fashioned parlor, using formal cut glass plates and cups with elaborate flower decorations, and talking about nothing much but feeling loved.
Think about your favorite foods and drinks. Many of them probably remind you of some wonderful experiences you’ve enjoyed. Simply tasting them can bring back those feelings of awe for you.
You can use your sense of taste to pursue wonder either by trying something new (to express your God-given creativity) or by returning to an old favorite food or drink (to remind yourself of a time you felt inspired). Either way, you’ll experience the truth that Psalm 34:8 describes: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”