Is there anything I enjoy more than a good meal? Not much. I think that’s why I don’t cook much.
I guess that’s also why I love, love, love whoever it was who came up with that most marvelous and miraculous invention: the frozen dinner. That genius has likely saved a lot of lives around my house through the years. Thanks, freezy-friend.
Everyone talks about those fancy ice sculptures as table centerpieces. But for me? A frozen family-sized lasagna is the real thing of beauty. Thaw it and it’s a beautiful centerpiece you can literally sink your teeth into.
Entre masterpieces famously rescue people like me who are, shall we say, dinner challenged. They’re also great for helping make that dreaded “what should we have for dinner” decision. Those days I stare blankly into the pantry for more than a few minutes and still can’t decide, I remember I can head straight for the freezer. I can open that magic freezer door and find, oh glorious day, someone has essentially already decided for me.
Other times when I’m having a bad grocery day and there aren’t enough ingredients in the kitchen to put together anything besides a pickle-loaf/noodle/Dorito casserole, I check that freezer—and dinner is done. Because even with extra cheese, that pickle-noodle-rito casserole is not going to fly. Not even with extra-extra-extra cheese. Some days I just plain don’t want to spend an hour in the kitchen. No problem. In the freezer, dinner is already done. If they made it any easier they would be digesting it for me.
Do I have to admit how freezer-dependent I am? It’s embarrassing. Though, for the record, I do try to make sure I do all my own digesting. That freezer though. And working in exquisite harmony with my freezer, I can’t forget my buddy, the microwave. Oh my beautiful microwave. We never need a dinner bell. The beep of the microwave has always signaled dinner is ready. That beep? Music to my ears.
On a much more significant note—with infinitely sweeter music—the sweet, sweet song of salvation is my life melody. Jesus. Redemption. I could sing about this all day. Redemption is all about and all through Jesus. When Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross, it was finished. Done, done, and already done!
Take a look at Hebrews 7:25 in the Amplified Bible. “Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.” Sort of a “centerpiece” life, where Jesus brings “peace” to our very “center.”
Our Jesus saves to the uttermost. Complete and perfect. Final and eternal. Done! He had already decided, even before the foundation of the world, to redeem us back to Himself. We never have to fret and stew over our redemption. We merely need accept it and live it out.
But back on the sillier side, and speaking of stew, I just heard the microwave sound the dinner bell. It’s playing my song, ya’ll. Though just in case you think we never eat anything at all that’s not frozen, I’m very proud of my special Italian sauce. It’s never been frozen. Because it comes from a jar.