Cattlemans Steakhouse

My youngest daughter and I enjoy sharing new recipes with each other.  When she was younger we would sometimes dream about what our favorite dinner would consist of.  It usually included a big barbequed steak, a baked potato with ALL the trimmings and a large serving of green string beans freshly picked off our backyard vines!  I think that if I asked her today, she would probably say that it has not changed that much… and I guess I would have to say the same thing!

When we were dating, my wife and my favorite restaurant was the northern California chain of Cattlemans Steakhouse.  In fact, I asked my wife to marry me at their restaurant in Petaluma, California.  I had it planned down to the last detail.  A good friend of mine at the time, and I had packed up my MG and gone camping at Richardson Grove State Park a few days before the fateful day and we talked about practically nothing except my upcoming surprise for my gal!

My Mom had helped me to shop for the ring a month or so before and I had all I could do to keep the secret from Piper!  She and I had discussed marriage and had agreed that we would wait a couple more years until we had completed our junior and senior years of college.  But when push came to shove and we were getting ready to leave for college life at Chico State College, I decided that I wasn’t going to take any chances and wanted to make sure that my gorgeous girlfriend had a ring on her finger so that everyone knew that she was spoken for!

When the night finally came and we got to the restaurant, all my plans seemed to go up in the dust… or maybe it was the sawdust on the floor!  We were not able to get a corner booth and the only available table was in the middle of the crowded dining area closely surrounded by all the other dinner guests.  It just wasn’t romantic enough!  So throughout the dinner I tried to come up with a ”Plan “B”.  I really don’t remember much about the actual dinner and I am not sure if Piper thought that something was up or not!

Finally when we were alone in my little MG in the dark parking lot after dinner, I threw caution to the wind, pulled the little velvet covered box out of my boot (where I so cleverly concealed it… so I thought!!!), looked into Piper’s bright brown eyes that made me swoon, shakily opened the box and softly asked her to marry me.  As our eyes met and the tears began to well up, she suddenly began to laugh!  Talk about NOT what I expected!!!  But we made it past the laughter and she quickly said YES and it’s been history ever since!

Later she confided to me that she was a little nervous and didn’t know what else to do!  Looking back now though, it was probably the most apropos reaction and start to our marriage as it was her consistent smile and laughter that first attracted me to her as she sat behind me in our English class as juniors in high school!

I thought of that steakhouse, tasty dinners and my star-spangled proposal to my wife this morning as I read from I Peter 2:2-3.  It says, “Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk.  Then you will grow in your salvation.  Certainly, you have tasted that the Lord is good!” (God’s Word ©)  It was the thought of the Word of God tasting good that led me along the path of a deliciously tasty steak dinner!

We should desire or as the original Greek implies “yearn for” or “crave” the delicious taste and nutritional value of the scriptures just as we do a steak dinner or any of your favorite meals or deserts! (Yummm’mm… now don’t get me going on deserts!  If you’re reading this, let me know what your favorite dinner and/or desert is!)

You understand I am sure, that a baby desires or craves milk not only for the taste, but also to meet his or her nutritional needs.  That’s the same for us with the Word of God.  Not only should we desire it for its flavor and enjoyment, but also as a necessary ingredient for the spiritual, mental, emotional as well as physical growth and development of our whole being.  As a Christian, it is the one food group that we CANNOT live without!

As I meditated on all this this morning I glanced over at one of the bibles sitting on my desk and pictured it as a hot, juicy steak just off the grill!  I could almost smell its fragrance and taste its barbequed flavor.  Is that how you see your bible?  Does the thought of opening its pages and partaking of its words cause your mouth to begin to water in anticipation of its unique taste and satisfying flavor?  According to our scripture today, it should!  “Certainly, you have tasted that the Lord is good!”

Have a great weekend!  Why not go out and have a special meal of God’s taste tantalizing, satisfying and aromatic Word this weekend!  Enjoy and be blessed and remember to ask yourself as you bite into that first fork full… “What am I expecting today?”