Enjoy as Long as You Can

Last night Cindie and I went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It is an “Italian” restaurant, but you don’t have to eat pizza, pasta or spaghetti because there are many wonderful recipes on the menu. Last night I enjoyed perch, broccoli, focaccia bread, and a Caesar Salad sans croutons. But it wasn’t a meal to gobble down. It wasn’t fast food. It was something to savor, to enjoy, to taste and appreciate. To savor means to appreciate or enjoy as much as you can for as long as you can. To cap the dinner off, Cindie and I shared a piece of flourless chocolate cake. We savored it slowly with our coffee.

Last Night’s Dinner in Fitchburg at Benvenuto’s Italian Grill.

What to Savor?

What aspects of life should I enjoy as long as I can? My opportunities to spend time with my lovely and loving wife. The laughter of our grandchildren and time with them. The amazing children God blessed us with over 40 years ago. The times of corporate worship of God with other believers. The beauty of the flowers as spring bursts forth with daffodils and tulips. The return of the robins and the transformation of the male goldfinch to amazing yellow. The tropical fish that swim in the aquarium in my home office. These all merit a slowing down to deeply appreciate them.

Origin of the Savored Savories?

In a word, God, the Creator. I cannot help thinking of a Savior when I hear the word Savor. I cannot help but think of the compassionate God who revealed himself in the Old Testament as a God of compassion. That God invites us to delight in the rich food he provides that doesn’t cost us anything but that cost him the gift of the Savior. Listen to him and savor his words found in Isaiah 55 and find everlasting savor.

Isaiah 55 – (The Compassion of the Lord)

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money,

    come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.