A Little Dose Of Adventure

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.

“Okay, everything else in the box has been so good, but that was weird,” my daughter commented.

“What is that taste?!” her younger sister moaned, while the littlest one unceremoniously spat her mouthful in the garbage.

Despite my own displeasure over a taste reminiscent of pine trees, I finished chewing the mastic-flavored toffee. “It’s definitely the most unique.”

It was Friday night, and my family and I had gathered for our monthly tradition: opening a subscription box full of treats from another country. Over the last couple of years, we’ve had boxes that featured countries like Poland, Taiwan, Greece, and Colombia. My husband reads the descriptions of each item while I divvy them up, and each child takes a turn recording our reactions, whether positive or negative. The included score sheet provides an area for us to record our favorite, least favorite, and weirdest items.

While most of the snacks are varying degrees of deliciousness, occasionally we encounter one that doesn’t agree with our taste buds. But we keep trying them because it’s fun to explore new places, even from the comfort of our homes.

We tend to think that we need to travel far and wide to appreciate the world and its treasures. But even something as simple as a subscription box reminds us that we can enjoy new adventures without going anywhere. Each time we try a cocoa-dusted chocolate truffle bar from France, yogurt candy from Poland, or bubble tea popcorn from Taiwan, we’re reminded that God has created a wide array of flavors, experiences—and people too. We are each as unique as our fingerprints. Yet each of us is made in his image. Let’s delight in the variety present in the world, thanking God for how he has endowed us with fascinating, unique, and beautiful cultures. Let’s celebrate and appreciate the beauty of the world and its people.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Try cooking a recipe or eating an item from another country. Thank God for the variety of flavors and people in his world.