Why not to eat celery

At the risk of offending celery growers and celery lovers in general I want
to share with you that I don't like Celery. It's not that I have anything
against celery; it's just that I don't like the taste or texture of raw
celery; in fact I don't think it is a particularly attractive plant.

Now, having said that; I also want to say that I love celery; (under the
right circumstances). I don't think that you can make a decent Turkey
Stuffing without celery. Potato Soup does not taste good without celery;
Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad need just a pinch. In fact we use celery to
season many things in our kitchen. Just today I chopped and dried or froze
an entire pack of stalks of celery for our future use. But to eat celery by
itself, even with peanut butter or other fillings whatever they might be, I
just don't like it and won't eat it other than to be courteous to a host or
hostess.

I know some folks who won't even touch celery, they won't try it, they won't
experiment with its various uses. That's sad, because they are missing out
of something good that would be a blessing in their lives.

Celery in our home is an intricate and important seasoning; it complements
and often completes other foods and recipes. It becomes incorporated into
the whole to make what is good, even better. There are some foods that just
do not taste as well without it.

Isn't it the same with some people in our lives or our church families?
There are sometimes folks who we just may not care for. There may not be any
reason we can identify or put our finger on. It may not be even that we
don't care for them, but we just don't click with them, so we don't go out
of our way to know them better.

In the same way as my celery however, these same people may help complete
and make better who we are or the whole flavor of our church family. Perhaps
it's time that you try to expand your horizons and your relationships. God's
church family can grow only when we are willing to experience the fullness
of the Spiritual Gifts He has given to each member.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:3-10 "For by the grace given me I say to every one
of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather
think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of
faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members,
and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are
many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have
different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving,
let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let
him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give
generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing
mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil;
cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor
one another above yourselves." (NLT)

I still hate celery, (raw), but I try very hard to love and appreciate those
who God brings into my life. I heard a quote which was attributed to Abraham
Lincoln in which he said, "I don't like that man, I must get to know him
better." Is there someone that you need to give a chance to flavor your
life?

Russ Lawson