MEATLESS MEATLOAF AND FRIED FISH

PRACTICE: This week do something EXTRAordinary for a loved one.

Two things right upfront … I am not and do not want to be a vegetarian (not convinced the benefits outweigh the effort required) and I do not fry food, especially fish. But when you love someone, one’s “I don’ts and I am nots,” stances may soften. How do I know? I fried fish and made a meatless meatloaf for two people that I love recently.

My husband pined for fried fish for weeks. I heard him talk about it, but I wasn’t about to invest energy in addressing his desire beyond half- hearted suggestions of where he might possibly go for a takeout order. Although he said I made an outstanding Christmas dinner, he mentioned fried fish again the day after Christmas to me and my neighbor. My heart softened a bit. I began to think with a little planning and a lot of effort, I could make his dream come true. In case you are wondering, I don’t fry food because of the lingering odor, lingering pounds on the hips, and lingering fat in the arteries. Well, I fried fish on the gas grill outside wearing a coat. It wasn’t a flawless plan, but it worked.

Meatless Meatloaf: it never ceases to amaze me that many non-meat eaters seek to find a substitute that looks like real meat. An entire industry supports that fact. Those of us who love and care for them are drawn into their lifestyle whether we want to be or not. Meatloaf was the protein planned for Sunday’s dinner which we almost always share with our sheltering next-door neighbors, one of who doesn’t eat meat. My solution – a meatless meatloaf made with a meat substitute. I really should call it meatless loaf. Just saying it that way brings a smile to my face.

Living a healthy, wholesome and holy life is as much about what I do for others as it is about what I do for myself. I can only be fully healthy and fully whole when those around me share in that pursuit and when I am open and available to help them in reaching their goals. Is fried fish good for you? Well, it is fish, it satisfied his craving and nourished his soul. He licked his fingers and smiled. Is meatless loaf good? I didn’t eat any, so I don’t know. The neighbor was still raving about it two days later. It nourished my neighbor’s body and support his quest to live a healthier lifestyle.

Psalm 37:4

PONDER THIS THOUGHT—Extravagant acts of love are never unrewarded.